Found Again
by Gallifrey Byrned
Summary: It's a new town. But there's a familiar face.
1. To Have Found

**A/N: Hi. Hello. So, I wrote a little one-shot something for one of the small fandom I am in and I like Broadchurch very much. I would love to share it and so here I am. I don't really know what to say but I hope it's okay. Bye bye.**

**Disclaimer: Hmmm. I don't own anything here in this story. Okay, but I made up Gracestone and Daniel though. **

* * *

Fish and chips.

The first thing he ate the moment he reached Gracestone. It was not far off from Broadchurch nor was it too close to Sandbrook.

Bloody hell.

A heart finally functioning properly and now he could not even be bothered to consider his cholesterol intake. He cursed himself when a waiter barely the age of 18 came up to his table to serve his fish and chips and tea, thinking why he even decided on the meal upon remembering the doctor's advice on avoiding those kind of meals.

"There ya go, sir."

"Thanks, boy." Alec muttered. But the young man could barely hear his gratitude and yet he managed a smile despite Alec's grumpy mumbling. As he walked away, Alec was having a mental battle with himself on whether to call back the boy or not, having changed his mind to get a Caesar salad instead. Eventually, two minutes later after the meal was set before him, he finally ate up and discarded the idea of getting the salad.

But he felt a sudden shot of emptiness. He rolled his eyes.

Ellie Miller.

Bloody Ellie Miller jumped into his mind.

That was the reason why he ordered fish and chips. Didn't know how it made him conclude that, but he instantly blamed Ellie Miller. Maybe because he recalled that night she got his fish and chips and called out to him, asking what kind of a Scotsman he was when he said he could not eat it. He remembered how he gave in and took a bite of the meal, how Ellie just laid out her fish and chips on the couch in his former office.

Alec grumbled after taking his third bite. Unfortunately for him, the previous waiter was walking pass by him when he was doing so, making the boy turn around, "Something wrong, sir?"

But Alec just waved him away with a shake of his head.

"Everything alright, sir?"

"Uh." He nodded just to ward off the waiter, "Boy! Daniel!"

"Yes, sir?" The brunet came back to his table, looking quite satisfied at the fact that the bearded man knew his name.

Alec knew this of course, when he saw how a hint of a smile ghosted over the boy's face. He took note of that – to read a server's name tag and address them by their names – educating himself on basic human interaction.

"Erm," Alec pushed his meal a little bit further from him, "Can I please have a glass of warm water?" Daniel nodded, smiled and went off.

Alec stared at the fish and chips.

And then he took out his phone, looking at the last text he sent his former DS. "Pacemaker surgery. Don't worry. Will be done by 7."

They rarely texted.

Correction. He barely texted – most of the time he would just call, having barely any patience for a reply that comes off a text message. Alec then looked through his call log – at the top of the list was the agent whom he bought his current house in Gracestone from; the next were missed calls from Daisy, who had been trying to get hold of him; preceding it was the cab company that took him out of Broadchurch; and the last one was Ellie's.

Alec stopped there, his thumb hovering over the number, contemplating on whether or not to call her.

It has been three months ever since he contacted anyone in his life at all since he closed the Sandbrook case – not his daughter, not Tess and not even Ellie. He had returned to his father's summer house in Aberdeen, Scotland after both the Sandbrook and Broadchurch cases were resolved. There was no reason for him to do so, but he had to retreat, take a break from everyone and everything. But of all, he wanted to run away. Initially, he had no idea where to go after both the Gillespie and Latimer cases were closed. His call to the cab company to get out of Broadchurch was purely on impulse.

Alec still has his family in Scotland - his brothers and parents. But even from them, he wanted to hide away.

He never knew why.

Was it because of the humiliation of being nicked as Britain's worst cop and that he was a failure at being both a father and a husband? Was it because his failure with the Broadchurch case as well?

He never told or talked about it with anyone at all, be it about his career or his health. Hell, if he were to go home to his family in Scotland, he'd be a laughing stock. Of course, his embarrassment would not be something he would display, but still, he feels it inside. And every time he passes by a copper, he feels it over and over.

But as much as he tried to convince himself that he had put in his best - his everything - for the two cases, he still could not get over the fact that the blame and fault was stapled on his back for everyone to see wherever he went.

It was during one of his lonely days in the summerhouse that he made up his mind that if he had anything that can still be fixed, it will be the relationship with his daughter. He realized that his daughter still cared for her father and that she still wants him in her life. That was when he decides to get a house in Gracestone. He didn't even bother to look at the house, be it by coming down to the town in prior or through a picture. It was a very impulsive decision; he received Daisy's 14th call (which he missed it on purpose) and five minutes later he was on the phone with the real estate agent (mind you it was the same one that he sought in when finding a house with Tess) to whom he described the type of house he was looking for to and his price range.

When the agent came up with a suggestion he agreed to it in an instant - meeting the agent the very next day and settled everything. Four days later with all the paperwork and the transactions done, here he was in Gracestone, having fish and chips at the very first coffee house he came across with his bag of clothes still in the back seat of his car (even the car was bought on impulse the moment he reached Aberdeen). Now that he's sitting down in an unknown restaurant in an unfamiliar town that he realized he should really reconsider his recent impulsive behaviors, particularly because it was really a little too out of character for him.

"Your warm water, sir." Daniel's voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Thanks, boy." Alec nodded, "Which way is Gracestone High Street?"

Daniel instantly turned around again to face the man with a question, nearly smacking himself with the tray he used to deliver the water, "Sorry?"

"High Street," Alec took a sip out of his glass, "Which way?"

"Uh, High Street." The waiter repeated as he looked around, "Up the road, take the second left."

"Hmm. Thank you, lad," Alec nodded again.

"Are you visiting someone or are you new in town?"

"What?" Alec mentally cursed at himself thinking about how rude he must have sounded.

"Nah, nothing," The boy's cheeks flushed, embarrassed at a failed attempt to be friendly.

"New," The older man answered, taking in a deep breath, "Just bought a house here last week."

"Right," Daniel nervously replied, half turning, "I shall not disturb you having your meal then."

"Aye," Alec straightened up and pulled his fish and chips closer. For once, he felt good.

Three long months and he finally had an almost proper conversation - the fact threatened to spread a smile across his face, but of course he couldn't betray his grumpy self.

Driving through Gracestone, he realized that the town was a bit too much like Broadchurch. Too many people in too small a town. But weaker coast winds. Bless that.

One glance at High Street reminded him of the house he used to live in when he had his own family - a two storey semi-detached with its own lawn and low fencing. But he noticed something the real estate agent didn't mention - or maybe he just wasn't paying attention - was that the houses had an open roof. He quite liked the idea of it that he began to think of what he could do with it ‐ probably a shack of some sort with a hammock or two.

A bit too plain, was his first thought when he parked his car in front of the house said to be his.

Too white.

The gates a bit too simple.

The plain wooden fence made it look like a farmhouse.

Alright, can't complain too much. He wasn't expecting much anyway.

Alec turned off the engine and got out of his car, with his hands on his hips, staring up at his new abode. He sighed, almost regretting now that he realized how big the house was for him to live alone. He opened the gates and walked in, examining the tiled floor for him to park his car on. Unlocking the door, he took a look before stepping in. It had dark shades of almost everything - brown walls, wooden flooring and a red carpeted stairs - gave it a grand and romantic vibe about the house and Alec surprisingly loved it. He realized he found a sense of satisfaction. He roamed deeper inside to find a living room almost twice as big as his living room in that blue cabin or maybe bigger. The kitchen even has an island - what was he even going to do with it?

Alec decided not to stress himself with having to think of what he is going to cook for himself every day - not that he doesn't know how to. So, he proceeded to venture the second level. It has a wide corridor, a master bedroom on one side, two smaller rooms and a washroom on the other, with a glass door at both ends. He knew the glass door at the front end was for the balcony, only when he went to the back that he realized that there was a small set of stairs that leads up to the rooftop. Alec lost in the battle of wanting to go up to it and so he went back downstairs, start up his car and parked inside.

He noticed the lack of people around, thinking that the town doesn't seem as welcoming as that Daniel at the coffee house, but he remembered that it was midday of a Tuesday - people were probably at work and children were probably at school.

Alec was grateful that the previous owners left behind some furniture's covered up like the queen bed in the master bedroom, the set of stools around the kitchen island and a matching set of sofas and coffee table in the living room. At least there is a place for him to sleep on.

Alec brought his bag of clothes up to the master bedroom, unpacked and arranged everything in the walk-in closet - he would have appreciated it if they had left some hangers as well, so that his shirts won't be as crumpled (folding isn't really his strength). He still has half a day to go, but Alec doesn't really want to go venturing the lawn yet, and so, he got back into his car, moved it outside, it out again to lock the gates (he made a mental note to get them automated), returned to his car and headed for the nearest furniture store.

That night, Alec brought some candles up to the rooftop together with a sandwich in his mouth. He noticed how the parapets were actually one such that the two roofs of the semi‐ds were conjoined with a metal railing separating the house in the middle. As he was about to light up the candles, he heard a woman's voice, "You know, all the rooftops here have default lights installed. The switch is right beside the glass door inside."

He turned a little too fast that his sandwich almost flew out of his mouth and the voice continued, "The story about this house being bought is true then. I'm-,"

"MUM! EDDIE WANTS SOME MILK!"

The woman rolled her eyes, "For goodness sake! Yeah, alright! Give me a bit, will ya?"

Alec still had his jaw dropped, his sandwich in hand and his brows furrowed but still nothing came out his mouth. He was still staring at his neighbour, his neighbour staring back at him with her arms crossed, "Hey, are you alright?"

But Alec kept silent.

"You know what, sorry. Maybe we could introduce ourselves properly tomorrow, yeah?" The curly haired-woman pulled her night robe tighter around herself before smiling and turning around to make her way back inside.

Alec was still stuck in the same spot on his roof, thinking, "How?"

Alec couldn't sleep that night.

Ellie Miller.

Was that really her?

But- How did she not recognize him?

Hell. That was the closest to being nice she had ever been to him.

Alec rubbed his palms against his face, sighing.

And then he realized that he had been a clean-shaven man since the day he bought that house.

Of course she couldn't recognize him.

He sighed again, feeling himself sink deeper into his bed.

They didn't even have a proper hello or goodbye. Ellie had rushed back into the house before he could even process the whole meeting. Alec would have stopped her if he hadn't been so shocked.

He spent the whole night just rolling in his bed, trying to get his eyes to sleep but he simply couldn't.

He couldn't get Ellie Miller out of his mind.

Not that she hadn't been constantly on his mind lately, but that night, all the memories of being with her came flooding back. He had thought of her often during his days alone, but it never really crossed his mind to ever meet her again. Although he would love to, he didn't expect to meet her like this. It all happened too fast. Alec eventually gave up and got out of his bed and went out to the balcony, trying to get himself some air and calm himself down.

He stood there with his elbows perched on the railing, his mind clouded, but he didn't really know what to think and eventually, he watched the sunrise and families getting out of their houses to go to work and sending their children to school. When he saw the car next door pull over into the driveway, Alec almost shouted for it to stop, but he couldn't bring himself to being too exhausted after a long drive the day before and a slumber he didn't get. He gave in finally and headed for the bedroom to sleep.

When he woke up, it's only two in the afternoon. Alec groaned and raked his fingers through his hair.

The memories of his time being with Ellie came hitting back at him.

Seeing her on the roof top the night before, almost made him forget that he already had a pacemaker put in.

Alec rolled over and buried his face into the pillow, groaned again.

For god's sake.

He's craving for some fish and chips.


	2. We Meet Again

**A/N: Aha. You know what, maybe I want to continue this. Okay, bye bye. I just want Alec and Ellie to happen please. I'll just keep it under complete because I think it can stand on its own.**

**Disclaimer: There we go.**

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The town was quiet and Alec actually appreciated the peace and calm as he parked his car in front of the coffee house he had his lunch the day before. Stepping out of his car, he observed himself at the reflection of his car window.

Bloody hell.

He touched his couldn't remember the last time he actually looked so kempt. His face was clean shaven, his hair was neatly combed back, a brown leather jacket over a black t-shirt. He could barely recognize himself.

Alec sighed again. Locked his car and walked in.

He headed straight for the corner by the window and Daniel quickly approached him with a friendly smile and a glass of warm water, "Nice to see you again, sir."

"Thank you, lad." Alec actually appreciated the water, cursing himself for not getting any at the gas station earlier on.

"How's Gracestone so far, sir?"

"Hmm," Alec groaned, his accent thickened, "'Tis fine. A bit too small a town for too many people. But 'tis alright."

"Yeah? Sorry 'bout that but last month a family of three just moved in and brought up the stats." Daniel couldn't help but to smirk at how Alec winced when he mentioned it, "Anyway, tea for you, sir?"

"Caesar salad, please. And an Earl Grey."

"Alright. Be right back."

Alec sighed as the waiter walked away. He rubbed his temples, still adjusting himself to the time of day. He fished out his phone out of his jacket pocket, his initial intention was to call Daisy and apologise for the calls he never returned. Hell, he just wanted to let himself rest but he himself couldn't justify why he purposely missed her calls.

But now, with what had happened the night before, he realised maybe it's time to repair the ties that he head with people who meant everything to him. He realised Daisy had always been the reason why he strive to live every day other than to make right to the Gillespies. Of all, the previous night made him realise how much he had missed having people in his life so much.

Daisy may have been so distant from him since he took the blame for Tess and he had yet to assure himself that he could ever repair the ties with her knowing that she still thinks he was the marriage wrecker. Maybe that's why he never felt the need to get back to her although he still wants her to be spoiled by himself but he wanted his daughter as much.

Then, there's Ellie Miller.

The thought of her made his chest felt heavy.

Ellie Miller.

The only person he had when he had nothing. The only person who stuck by him despite all the shit he threw at her. The only person who stood by him through an almost dead-end case that he dragged her into. The only person who sat beside him when he was dying.

Alec would never admit it out loud but he had cared for Ellie more than he had cared for anyone else when things changed in her life. When the whole town turned their backs to her, he realised it wasn't him that she needed.

He realised that it was he himself who needed her.

When things went down in Sandbrook, he had nothing and no one to hold onto. He was merely drowning in the accusations, the betrayal and the lies. But in Broadchurch, Ellie had been truthful and loyal despite getting on his nerves every 5 minutes. Technically, she was the one taking care of him even way before her world fell apart.

Over time, he had become dependent on her when she wouldn't let him finish the Sandbrook case alone, when she was still willing to drive him around, when she became the first person to be by his side after his surgery. He knew that one way or another; she would never want him to be alone.

Alec smiled to himself, remembering her rejection at his offer of a comforting hug.

And then he sighed again, after comparing his life when he had Ellie's company then.

"Sir? Your salad." Daniel placed the food in front of him.

"Thanks."

He quietly poked into his salad and eat it He had been so used to the diet he actually began to love the food. As he ate silently and watched the town through the window, his mind began to claim peace and undo all his thinking he thought about.

Alec had had a lot of peace of late, having spent his time with only himself for a company. He chewed on the greens quietly when suddenly someone came through the door and made him glance.

_Shit._

Alec quickly looked away out the window, trying to pretend he never saw anything, hoping that person didn't notice him.

Plan A failed horribly.

The lady walked straight right up to his table, "Hey. How was your first night in Gracestone?"

Alec winced before he turned to face her with an attempt to smile.

Thank goodness there wasn't any bright orange jacket on her.

She offered a hand, "I'm Ellie."

Oh, she's wearing a suit.

Alec took her hand, remembering so vividly their horrible first meeting, "I know."

Ellie raised an eyebrow, "Wow. Someone is quick in socializing."

Alec faced her and forced a small smile, offering the seat in front of him.

_How the hell is he supposed to introduce himself?_

"Danny," Ellie raised her hand for the waiter, "could I get some chips, please? And an iced tea as well, please."

Alec looked over at Daniel who was across the coffee house who had his thumb up, acknowledging the request.

"So," Ellie continued, "you here alone?"

Alec grunted and rubbed his eyes.

"What? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

_T__his is it._

"Miller," He saw her eyes widened, "it's me."

There was silence for a moment.

But that was a very short moment because the next second Ellie leaned back in her seat, "JESUS CHRIST."

Alec groaned.

She stood up.

"Calm down, Miller."

She crossed her arms.

He groaned again.

She placed her hands on her hips.

He thanked god there was only two other people in the coffee house.

"Unbelievable."

"Aye," Alec covered his face with his palms, "sit down, Miller."

"Bloody hell."

"Miller, please."

"For god's sake, Hardy. It's not Miller!"

Their banter died when Daniel walked in between with a tray and an iced tea on top of it, "Sorry, Ms Knight."

"Ms Knight?" Alec raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up." Ellie sat back down.

Daniel placed her drink down and quickly walked away.

"Jesus," Ellie buried her face in her palms.

"Shut up, Miller."

"_Knight_," Ellie corrected him, "knob."

"Aye." He continued poking into his salad again.

He continued to eat in silence, looking away from her. But as his vision was focused on a local out the window, his attention was on his former partner who was still staring at him in disbelief.

"Did you fucking stalk me?"

Daniel slowly slipped her basket of chips in front of her, wanting to escape whatever it was between them.

"No," Alec hadn't used his annoyed tone in months.

"Whatever happened to your face?"

"Eat your food, Miller."

"It's not Miller anymore, you wanker."

Alec was more amazed than anything else that Ellie could actually keep her mouth shut throughout their meal. And they didn't even exchange a single word between them even when he was billing out. He simply groaned when Ellie was about to make the payment, stood up before she did, handing over the money to the waiter and walked out leaving her behind.

But as soon as he reached his car, Ellie came up from behind him, yelling, "Bloody hell, Hardy!"

"What now, Miller?" He barked back at her as he turned.

"You come out of nowhere and you don't even have the decency to express basic courtesy to the person you haven't met in a long time!"

"What should I say? _Oh, Miller. It's so nice to see you again? How are you?_" His Scottish accent thickened by the anger.

"Yeah? At the very least? That's what people do, Hardy! You went off, not telling me where you were headed, didn't even give me a call! I was worried about you!"

"Then what? Ask you out for a reunion dinner? If you worry about me so much, why didn't _you_ call me?" Alec waved his phone in her face.

Suddenly, both of them silenced, realizing there were people watching them through the window of the coffee house.

There were only three people, really – the two other locals and Daniel.

And a few others across the street who apparently stopped in their tracks.

Alec rolled his eyes and unlocked his car, opened and slid into the driver seat.

"What? Now you're going to leave me here?"

He groaned.

"Are you ignoring me now?"

Alec rolled his eyes again, "Bloody hell, Miller. Do you want the whole town to watch our reunion?"

With that, he slammed his car door shut and drove off.

Ellie felt her cheeks blush, realizing that they were arguing in front of locals in the town they both were new in.

_Wanker._

* * *

Alec groaned when he heard rapping on the door. He placed the pans down and simply shoved his day's groceries to the side of the kitchen counter, "Who is it?"

"Hardy, open up the bloody door!"

He grunted, "It's open."

He heard little footsteps running, but he didn't manage to turn around before a small child charged at him and hid behind his legs, clutching onto his jeans with his tiny hands.

"Aw, Fred. Have you missed Uncle Alec?" Ellie came in leaned against the kitchen island.

"Uncle Alec?" The little boy looked up to the tall man.

"Uncle Alec?" The tall man glared at the curly-haired woman.

Ellie rolled her eyes. But before she could get any closer to the two, Alec had bent down to pick the little boy up and settle him on his hip, pushing a wild curl off his face, "Look at ya now, lad. Runnin' around in my house just like before."

The moment stopped. For Ellie, at least. Never had she seen Alec be so gentle, his voice so calming. If she hadn't been leaning on the island, she swore she could have just fell to the floor as the sudden warmth in her heart started to melt her. She observed as he placed Fred to sit on the counter, having a conversation with the boy. She couldn't here anything at all but his murmuring to the little boy was soothing.

When the boy held out his hand to be carried down, Ellie walked up to get her son, "I'm sorry."

"Hmm." Alec reached out for his groceries.

"I meant, I'm sorry about what happened just now at the coffee house." She picked up her son.

Alec sighed and dropped his groceries again, turning around to face her, folding his arms across his chest.

"So…" Ellie looked away from him and examined the interiors of his house instead, "how are you, Hardy?"

"'M fine. Thanks. You?"

"I'm alright, I guess."

And they stood there in silence, Ellie fidgeting on the spot.

"Tom moved with you, I assume?"

"Yeah," She looked up to him, "he's at school now. Football training."

"Right." He looked at his watch, "It's almost 6.30. Have you prepared dinner?"

Ellie shook her head.

"Go home and clean yourself up. I'll meet you up front."

"Where are we going?"

"Reunion dinner. Showing basic courtesy."

"Unbelievable."

She wouldn't say it out loud but she felt a sense of huge relief to know that every awkwardness is gone now that the sense of familiarity overwhelmed them with him ordering her about and she was forced to obey.

* * *

10 pm.

He pulled the pillow over his face.

He rolled on his side.

He turned and laid on his belly, burying his face into his bed.

He laid on his back again.

He pulled the blanket over his face.

He threw it aside.

He groaned.

Alec thought he could sleep better that night but as wrong as he was, at least he felt better.

He sat up straight and leaned against the headboard.

The dinner was smooth, to sum it up. Ellie had driven them to an Italian eatery and had picked up Tom along the way. The boy was friendly, jumping into the car greeting him politely, "You must be the neighbour mum talked about yesterday."

"Uh…. Tom." His mum wanted to clarify but there was no need for that when he leaned forward to shake the man's hands that he recognised him instantly.

"Mr Hardy."

Alec took his hand in.

"Tom."

Their ride was silent but he was glad the dinner was not. Alec was well aware of the boy's wariness as he was well aware that he himself was the man who arrested his father. Dinner started off tensed, with Tom being cautious and afraid of him at the same time. But slowly with the aid of Ellie, they talked about his school and he began to open up, sharing about the friends he made, the funny tales of classes.

Throughout dinner, they spoke, mainly Ellie and Tom that is as Fred was in a corner having spaghetti sauce all over his face. Alec listened intently, asking every now and then to show that he was paying attention.

At the end of the evening, both Hardy and Ellie and the boys were in terms like they were before, as if Hardy leaving three months ago never happened.

Alec sighed at the recollection of the evening and got to the edge of the bed where he grabbed his phone and put on a jumper before heading into the hallway. He looked for the switch that Ellie told him about for the rooftop light and he found it. He made his way up, shoving his phone into his pocket together with both his hands.

He went all the way across and perched his elbows on the parapet.

It's all going too fast, reuniting with Ellie, he thought.

And that made him too uncomfortable he kept forgetting he had a pacemaker put in because his chest tightened a little too much.

As much as they were back to familiar terms, he still felt awkward.

Was it because of his months of solitary?

Was it because he realised the disaster he had brought upon her family when he finally figured out it was Joe?

Was it because he still couldn't believe that they're back in his life?

Was it because he never thought he could ever find them again?


	3. It's Nice To See You

**A/N: Ahah. I updated. What have I done. I don't even know what went on here. Let's just hope everybody likes it, yeah?**

**Oh. Thanks for the reviews, guys! Didn't say it before, did I?**

**Disclaimer: Never gonna happen.**

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Why did he even go up the roof barefooted?

Now he's just there with his feet freezing as the coastal wind blew. In a really thin jumper.

Bloody hell.

Alec looked around him.

There was only darkness except for the roof tops that has their lights on; beaming from its housing that was flushed into the floor. He was surrounded with other houses filled with family and here he was, alone in a big house, with no one to call family. He would have considered his daughter but he wasn't so sure if he could. He had tried fixing his relationship with his daughter but it didn't work for almost two years. Now, Daisy might be trying to fix their relationship but he left it a long time ago when he realised he could never win back her heart when she was exposed to the lies he had admitted to. He still wants her, of course, but not if she still sees him as the man who left her mother for another woman. He wanted her to know the truth but he's not going to give it to her. Not so suddenly when she had lived her life believing the lies only to be hit with a whole lot of truth in her face. It would only make him look worst.

He wanted her to discover the truth on her own terms.

Alec took out his phone, and started typing out a draft - an apology message for not returning her calls. But he couldn't go beyond, "Hi, darling." when he decided to give up, not knowing what to say afterwards.

Alec sighed and tried to reason with himself as he looked around again. The idea of having a family again was all that he had ever wanted since the day he met Tess and it was all that he ever wanted now still. Even if it's only Daisy that he could get back. More particularly, Daisy was the reason why he had moved to Gracestone in the place, wanting to try and get back to her. But now that he was here, he didn't know what to do anymore.

But at least he had found Ellie again.

He buried his face in his palms at the thought.

Out of all the people.

Ellie Miller and her boys.

_Knight. Ellie Knight_, he corrected himself.

"Knight," Alec repeated out loud and let out a laugh.

How fitting, he thought.

Because she's one who fights and defends at the same time. He had seen how she had fought for justice to be served in the courtroom. He had seen her defend herself when the they accused her with lies. She didn't need to be saved.

But as strong as she appear to be, he knows Ellie should still be protected. Once, she had been so secured with the company of a husband and her children. When things turned around, it broke her as much as it made her. And Alec knew that Ellie should be protected from that pain more than anything else, that even though she could take care of herself and her sons, she still needs someone to look out for her.

Alec laughed at the thought, he knew she wouldn't accept it if it came from him. He didn't know exactly what she would say but her voice is already nagging in his head just thinking of it.

"Oi." The familiar voice surprised him.

He turned to see Ellie in her night robe and slippers with her arms folded across her chest, the wind blowing her curls all over her face.

"You look ridiculous." Alec responded, standing up straight.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too when I first met you in Broadchurch."

"Hmm," Alec replied as he walked over to stand by the metal railing that divided them.

There was a weird silence between them as they simply stared at each other, one with her arms folded, and the other with his hands in his sweatpants pockets.

"Why the hell are you barefooted up here?"

"I couldn't be bothered."

"Right."

Silence again.

"Are the boys asleep?"

"Fred is. Tom's probably playing the X-Box in his room."

"Hmm." Alec ended the conversation.

He recalled what he said about her looking ridiculous. In all actuality, he didn't really think she looked so bad. All those months away from her, almost forgetting what she looked like, he was trying to memorize her features, trying to remember the face of the person that had been so loyal to him despite them knowing each other for less than a year.

Hell, she had been more loyal to him more than anyone else that he could remember.

"You know one thing that remained the same about you?"

He raised his eyebrows, missing the question the first time round, trying to recover from his reverie.

"You are still very bad at holding a proper conversation."

"I've got nothing to talk about, Miller."

"Knight." She corrected him, rolling her eyes.

"Knight," He rubbed the back of his neck, "sorry."

"You'll get used to it."

"Aye."

Ellie took a step closer, "You didn't talk much just now during dinner."

"Nothing to talk about."

"Nonsense," she pulled the robe tighter around herself when the wind blew a little harder, "three months. Nothing happened in three months?"

"Do you want to talk inside?" He attempted to be nice.

"I'm alright."

"Well," He looked down at his feet, "I'm not. My toes are freezing."

"Fine," She turned around heading for the stairs down, "climb over. I'll make tea for us."

"I was thinking of my place."

"Don't be such a knob; you don't even have a kettle."

Well, that's true.

And he silently obeyed, climbing over the railing and tailing her, taking quick but little steps as he felt his toes starting to get numb.

* * *

When Ellie stopped by Tom's room, he stood behind her as she asked his son, "I'm making tea. You want to join us?"

Tom nodded his head as a greeting to the older man and focused back on his game, "I'll pass. But I'm getting a little hungry. I'll probably get something later."

"Just tell me if you want anything, okay?"

"Hmm."

He watched her as she put the kettle to boil. It's been a long time since anyone did anything for him and it felt a little weird to be in a person's house late in the middle of the night and the idea of having a conversation with a person was already more than overwhelming for him.

Especially now that it is Ellie Miller.

Knight, Ellie Knight, he corrected himself again.

Ellie was making him feel things but he didn't know exactly it was. However, he's certain that out of anything else, he felt the warmth and hope.

The warmth of having a company.

The hope of salvaging a relationship.

He didn't really know what was this thing they have between them - are they friends? Ex-colleagues? Acquaintances?

But it definitely is worth giving a try at salvaging.

"You're dreaming away again." Ellie pushed a mug of Earl Grey across the dining table they were settled on.

"I was just thinking," He took the mug, blowing into it before taking a sip, "Thanks."

"Of what?" He raised his eyebrows, unsure of the actual question being asked, "What were you thinking of?"

Alec sighed, "Nothing much, really."

She glared right back at him.

He knew that she knows she was never going to get anything out of him no matter how hard she tried and he was glad that she let it go. As they sat down in silence, each just taking a sip of their tea every now and then, Tom walked in, headed for the cabinet and grabbed a box of cereal. When he settled down with them at the head of the table, pouring the milk into the bowl, he attempted to join in their non-existing conversation, "You didn't talk much about yourself just now at dinner."

"Bit like your mother, aren't ya?" Alec replied, amused.

Ellie beamed.

"Where'd you go, Mr Hardy? How are you?" The boy continued the conversation without looking up from his bowl.

Alec winced. He's not really comfortable with people asking him the questions, being a former detective. But he moved to Gracestone for a change, he had to at least try to change himself, "'M fine. Thanks. Been back home to Aberdeen."

"Why move to Gracestone?" The young man shot another question, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

Alec was fascinated more than anything else, how he actually felt the boy had control of the current situation, shooting questions at him. Authoritative but friendly. And he noticed how Ellie found this intriguing too as she started to shift in her seat.

It's going to be a chatty night.

He answered anyway, "I don't know. I just wanted to be somewhere near my daughter and I didn't want to go back to Broadchurch. It was a really impulsive decision."

"Are you planning to visit her soon?"

"Maybe."

"What are you going to do here?"

"Can't possibly take up the Detective Inspector role here, can I? Your mum will kill me."

"Hmm." The questions stopped as Tom picked up his bowl to walk over to the sink and wash it, "Your heart is better now?"

Alec didn't answer. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He saw Ellie's grin starting to fade away but he looked at her in assurance and sat up straight, "It's better now, thanks."

"Okay," Tom turned and nodded at him, "Goodnight, then. Thanks for the dinner anyway, Mr Hardy."

"Aye."

Here they are again, only the two of them. Alec and Ellie. Back to square one with nothing to say. Both holding onto their mugs that had cooled. Alec's gaze shifted to his mug, his fingers tapping its rim.

"You were the one who suggested for us to talk inside and now you are saying absolutely nothing." Ellie raised a point.

"I thought you would have more questions for me."

"I did but Tom covered the main points already."

"Right." Alec breathed in deeply.

Now what?

"So," Alec rubbed the back of his neck, "DI now, huh?"

"Yeah."

Tom had brought up the topic over dinner, talking about what his mother is doing in Gracestone, but Alec noticed the discomfort it brought upon Ellie and so he didn't push it until then, "How?"

"Elaine thought our work was good - you and I. She said I didn't let my personal affairs come in between the case. She would have recommended you to Gracestone if you hadn't disappeared so soon."

"The tables have turned."

"Yeah."

"Is that how you get this house?"

"Yeah. I turned it down initially because I thought maybe you will return and that Elaine will give it to you instead. I waited," She paused, her tone turned melancholy, "but you never came back."

Ellie rose from her seat and went for the sink and turned on the tap, throwing her cold tea and washed her mug. Alec simply observed the way she carried herself across the kitchen. Anyone who doesn't know her enough would probably think that Ellie is fine but he knew that she was anything but fine. He brought himself up and walked over to her, standing by her side, handing over the mug for her to wash. He leaned against the counter as he watched her clean up, "I never thought anyone would be waiting for me."

"Apparently no one waited for you in the end because I sold the house in Broadchurch and bought this one instead. The force subsidized it for me. Don't blame me but the offer was tempting. " Ellie faced and mirrored him, settling a hand on her hip and gave him a smile - a smile she gives when she tries to pull herself away out of a serious situation. It's a form of emotional detachment for her, he realised and Alec didn't really like it because it just shows hurt she had been.

"You were doing better in Broadchurch. You and the Latimers. The town accepted you again."

"I was, yes. They did, yes. But you never mentioned where you were going, I had no means to contact you. I would have called you but you going away simply means that you don't want anything to do with us but I worry for you still."

"Right." Alec put his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels.

"Daisy, huh?"

"What?"

"You moved here because of Daisy?"

He took a deep breath in, "I think."

"Did you tell her you'd moved?"

Alec kept quiet.

"You didn't, did you?"

"I see why you are a detective."

"You know what amazes me most?"

"What?"

"Is how you managed to buy a house and a car in three months. Where did you go, Hardy? What have you been doing?"

Alec groaned.

He's too tired, really. That day had set a record for him for the most questions being asked in his entire life but he tried to be polite still, "I went home to Aberdeen."

She led him back to the table, sitting down, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"Can we not talk about this?" Alec groaned again and dragged a hand down his face. He felt the overnight stubble growth - should he keep it?

"Oh, come on." Ellie leaned closer with fascination, grinning cheekily, "Did you work as a farmer?"

"Let's just say my brother has his own franchise of restaurants in Scotland and I helped him with the capital."

"JESUS," Ellie's eyes widened and Alec winced, "are you saying you have a restaurant now?"

"I have a share, to be more accurate."

"Unbelievable."

"But that was a long time ago, long before I worked on the Gillespies' case. My brother just keep cashing in the returns of my investment up till now."

"So, you have always owned a restaurant?"

"_I have a share." _He corrected her again.

"Wow."

He scoffed, "How did you think I was able to pay for the cost of taking care of Claire and myself?"

"Wow." Ellie repeated herself.

Her awed face was comforting. If Alec didn't feel so self-conscious at that point of time, he would have laughed at her expressions but he couldn't betray himself so easily, "I saved up mostly. Got no one or nothing to spend on."

And their conversation ended there, with her gazing at him in utter disbelief, clearly enthralled at her new finding. It's been long since he had been around company and he found the night too nice that he felt reluctant on going back to his new home. He studied her face, her laugh lines, her ridiculous curls and he began to wonder of how much she had faced, how she struggled through and still managed to be a nice person unlike him.

He'd been rude.

And judgmental.

But here he sat before a woman who managed to be strong and kind.

"How are you, Ellie?" His voice was gentle - too gentle in fact that he surprised himself.

Ellie on the other hand was caught off-guard when he called her by her first name but she recovered instantly, obviously pleased with him to be able to address her like that, "I'm good; Tom's happy in school; Fred's making friends at the child-minders; I got your job. And a big house. And a divorce."

_Ah, so Knight is her maiden name._

"And I found you again," Ellie's attention shifted to the circles she was drawing with her finger on the table, "you could say I'm better than most days."

Alec saw her blush under the dim lighting of her kitchen and he would have appreciated it if he had kept his stubble so that it could hide the pink in his cheeks as he felt the blood rushing up to his face.

He didn't know what to say.

Or what to do even.

_Is the pacemaker working?_ He worried as he felt his heartbeat starting to race.

Silences between them is a normal thing – despite the fact that he's a man of not much words while Ellie on the other hand could not shut herself up – but this one was just overwhelming. The whole situation was too intimate. He addressing her by her first name, her admitting openly to have worried for him. And both being lonely and vulnerable. He had so many questions to ask her but she wouldn't look at him in the eye. However, he kept gazing at her till the moment she finally lifted up her face.

He gave her a smile, a small one. A grateful one.

And she returned it.

He rose to his feet, half-wanting to leave but it's already so late as he bear in mind that she has work in the morning, "You've got to get sleep."

"Yeah." Ellie adjusted her night robe, "You too."

And they walked silently up the stairs and up to the rooftop but before Alec climbed over, he spun around and stopped directly in front of Ellie, forcing her to halt, "Sorry."

"It's okay." Ellie was focused on the floor of her rooftop.

"Right." Alec shifted his gaze to his bare feet, rocking back an forth on his heels, "Ellie?"

"Yeah?" She looked up, but not at him, he realised. She's looking in his direction but not at him.

"It's nice to see you again."

"What the hell did I say about being nice to me?"


	4. Mission: Socialize

**A/N: This doesn't go anywhere really.**

**Disclaimer: Why.**

* * *

Alec was never a man who sleeps early, but he's never a man who wakes up late as well. And despite tossing and turning in bed the night before, he managed to wake up just in time to see Ellie getting her boys to get in the car. He was disappointed that he couldn't help himself but to feel a small smile emerge on his face at the sight as he stood on his balcony and watched over them. He watched how Ellie greeted her neighbours when she opened up the gates that barricaded her house. Her friendly, cheerful manners. Maybe he was wrong after all, about her – maybe she wasn't as lonely.

Ellie could easily get along with people.

She could win the hearts of many with the too-stubborn and caring heart of her own. He had hated how she could take the day on with a smile because really, how does one even do that? He could barely walk down the streets without feeling annoyed at how clear the skies were.

But that's Ellie for the world.

Heads up, strut along, make a joke. Gets shit, throws shit back at the universe. Move on.

He continued to observe, earning him a cheerful smile when she saw him standing in his balcony with his hair spiked up in every direction from the sleep, "Good morning, Hardy!"

Goodness. How can one be so sprightly in the morning?

"Morning'," Alec replied shortly, the small smile might have spread all over his face by now. And what he didn't expect from the exchange of greetings was sets of the neighbours' eyes that suddenly darted at him. He blushed, the smile went away in an instant and looked away, turning around, almost banging into the glass door and walked into his room before burying his face into his bed.

Great.

Now the neighbours will probably think that he's an arrogant knob.

* * *

Alec stayed at home in the morning, waiting for the furniture and appliances he ordered to arrive. But not short after he was having his homemade sandwich for breakfast, it came and he spent his whole afternoon directing men to move things.

"Alright. Book rack. Upstairs, the smaller room at the back."

"That office desk, same room. There's a chair that comes with it right?"

"The sofas you can leave it in the living room. But is it okay if you lads could bring the old ones into that room just now as well? Thanks. Just leave the coffee table where they are."

"Can I have that bed into the other room, please? No, not the master bedroom. Yes, the other one. You can put the wardrobe there as well. Night tables? The darker one is for the master bedroom. Lighter one in the other one, yes, thanks. "

"Do you need help? I could- oh okay then. If you say so."

"I don't mind how you'd arrange it. But just make the room look neat, yeah?"

"Just leave the telly aside. I'll think of what to do with it later."

"Aye, could you help me fix the washer-dryer in the laundry room? Yeah, that's right, that small room behind the kitchen. Just place the microwave on the island, I'll get that."

He didn't even worry of where the movers placed everything. Instead, he felt quite pleased with how they managed to arrange everything nicely and he didn't felt the need to shuffle things about to fit his preferences – it already fit his preferences.

Or maybe he just couldn't care less on how he should move them about again.

Alec went outside to thank the men, paid them the moving fee and then a little extra for helping him arrange the stuff, "Sorry if I wasn't of much help."

"Nah, sir. You made our job smooth today. Have a good day, sir." One of the younger movers reached out a hand.

He stared at it first, before taking it and returned the smile the young men gave him, "You too, lad."

When the lorry drove off, a woman walked up to him from the open gates of the house across the street, with her arms around herself, "Good afternoon."

"To you too."

Socializing.

**Step 1:** Greeting – checked.

"I see you've made friends with Ellie."

"Yeah."

**Step 2:** Answers rhetorical statements – checked.

The woman reached out a hand, "I'm Julie, by the way."

"Hardy," He shook her hand, gripping it a little too tightly, silently praying that his palms would not start sweating.

**Step 3:** Self-Introduction – checked.

Don't worry, it's like the first day of school, he reminded himself, or work.

"You're a shy person, aren't ya?"

**Final step:** Hold a conversation – in progress.

Okay, how does he answer this one? Alec fidgeted, opened his mouth but saying nothing, closing them again. Instead, he looked down at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Indeed you are." Julie let out a small laugh, amused.

Problem solved.

Although he didn't quite agree with her about him being a shy person.

"But I suppose you could go along well with Ellie?"

Alec looked up at her, an eyebrow raised. How is this conversation still going on without him saying anything?

"I saw you in the morning when Ellie greeted you," Julie continued, "Ellie's a really warm person. She can easily socialize with anyone at all. Although she's new here herself, but she's a really nice neighbour."

"Yeah, she is." That was all that Alec could mutter. How hard could that be?

"You here alone?"

"Aye."

"No family?"

"I've a daughter. But she's with her mum."

"Divorced, aren't you?"

"Aye."

"Sorry."

"It's alright," This socializing thing wasn't as tough as he thought, "How about your family?"

"I've got 3 boys. One of them is my husband," Alec let a small laugh, well at least he attempted to, "Ellie's single, though."

"I know," Alec almost regretted, wincing upon realising how instantly he responded to it, as if it were a good thing, making Julie gave him a knowing look. Alec pulled himself together, almost stuttering when he spoke, "We talked."

"I see. It's nice knowing you," She reached out a hand again for him to shake farewell, "I hope you'll like it here in Gracestone."

"Aye."

**Mission socialize:** Complete.

* * *

The supermarket in Gracestone is quiet and very much empty. He almost lost himself in between the aisles, wondering what to get – more particularly what to cook for himself for dinner. As he was picking out which brand of pasta to buy, his phone went off.

A text message.

It's been long since he last received a text message.

Especially from his daughter.

She never texted him before and all those calls that he had missed, she never left a voicemail either and to get a message from her was as surprising for him as he felt his heart starting to pace a little quicker.

**[dad where are you?]**

_Where?_

That was… different.

Should he reply? Or should he call straight away?

Alec just shook his head and put the phone away back into his jacket pocket, pulling a random box of fusilli off the shelf, pushing the content of the text message out of his mind.

But not short after he went on to the next aisle to get some spaghetti sauce, his phone went off again.

**[are you okay?]**

Alec set his phone to silent mode and put it away.

**[I couldn't find you in Broadchurch. reply me please.]**

_That's it._ He started typing on his phone:

**[what were you doing in broadchurch?] **

And instead of a reply, a call came in and he grunted, knowing that he was unable to decline it, "Daisy."

"Dad," the familiar voice said to him with a term he hadn't been called in in a long time, "hi."

"What were you doing in Broadchurch?" His low voice rung down the empty aisle and his accent was thick with a slight temper.

"Uh, I'm fine... Thanks?" Her response was bitter and annoyed at the same time.

But that didn't stop him from getting his answer, "What were you doing in Broadchurch?"

"How are you, dad?"

"M'fine, thanks," Alec realised that it was going to be long conversation and so he proceeded to the vegetable section, getting himself random greens, "you haven't answered my question, darlin'."

"Is your heart all right, dad?"

Alec rolled his eyes, trying to be patient to his girl, realising how much he had actually missed her voice, "It's fine. My heart is doing fine. How are ya, Daisy?"

"I'm good, dad. I missed you, that's all."

_I missed you._

He hadn't heard that being said to him in a long time as well. And as astonishing it may be for him to hear that again, especially from his daughter, it warmed him up inside. He could feel himself starting to choke but he's definitely not going to make it known to his daughter that she might have made him want to tear a little. He feels all this but Alec would never make his true feelings known; it's always like that for him.

Put on a front, look tough.

Sound like nothing bothers.

Act like nothing matters.

But still, he managed to say what he wanted to his daughter, "I missed you too, darlin'."

"Where are you now, dad?"

"What were you doing in Broadchurch, darlin'?"

For a moment, she paused but he knows she would answer him still, "I had a tournament there. Netball. We were there for two days. I asked around for you but they said you were gone a long time. Where'd you been, dad?"

"I went back to Aberdeen. There's nothing left for me there."

"_Went?_ You're not still in Aberdeen?" Alec didn't know what to make of her attention to detail, to feel proud or irritated, "Where are you now?"

He sighed. Alec wasn't sure on how to feel – touched? Moved? Concerned?

"Why d'you wanna know?"

"I worry for you, dad." Reasonable, that was, "And I've got things to talk to you about."

"What?" Alec regretted at how crossed he must have sounded, immediately allowing his voice to gentle, "you can't just talk about it to me on the phone? Or Facetime me, even. I've figured how to use it, you know."

If he thought the humour would have eased the tense in their conversation, he was so wrong when she sighed and responded in a tone more vexed than his, "No, dad. I actually need to talk to you."

"What is it about, Daisy?"

"I know what happened, dad."

"You know what happened? What do you even mean? 'S far as I know there hadn't been anything that happened in my life." _Come on_, he's praying hard for his little girl to ease off.

"Dad," Daisy called him out through the phone, "_I know what happened._"

Alec went silent.

Frozen – almost dropping the grocery basket in hand.

"Dad? You still there?"

"Aye," He murmured softly, "What is it that you want to say, Daisy?"

"Dad," He heard her take a deep breath and he worried a little, of what she was going to say next, on how he was going to take it, "I know about you and mum."

"It's all over the papers, innit? 'Course y'do."

"Stop deflecting, dad."

He sighed, putting the basket of groceries down on the vegetables, rubbing a hand down on the side of his face, "I-uh,"

"Dad, just- can you just-," Now she's sighing, "Where are you now?"

He hesitated but he knows she's not going to let him go off so easily, "Gracestone."

"Gracestone?"

"Aye."

"That's a 2-hour drive to Sandbrook, innit?"

"Aye."

"Pick me up after school tomorrow? Bring me over for the weekend?"

Alec almost lost grip of his phone. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped for quite a while that a local passed by him worried and that he had to assure her with a thumb up, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I've talked to mum about wanting to visit you. She doesn't know that I know."

"She doesn't mind you being with me?"

"Just say yes, dad."

Alec rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Fine. What time do you end?"

* * *

6.47 p.m.

Alec Hardy wiped his hands and headed for the door when he heard a knocking on it.

"What the hell is this?" Ellie raised a piece of paper up, her youngest son settled on her hip.

"It's a note."

"It's a bloody invitation, Hardy."

"Aye."

"To dinner."

"Right."

"At your place."

Alec walked out of the way, allowing her to step inside as she nagged on, "Didn't I say not to be nice to me?"

"Where's Tom?"

"He's coming over soon as soon as he's cleaned up. Bloody hell, what have you done with this place? What is this smell? Did you cook?"

Alec grunted in annoyance.

He might regret this.

And soon enough, Tom arrived. And being the opposite of his mother, he was quiet appearing at the door before stepping in. Throughout their meal, Alec was nagged upon how he should get a dining table. But at least he was being praised about how his baked pasta was better than expected. And then nagged again by Ellie about getting a high chair for wee Fred.

"He's not going to need it anymore anytime soon, mum." Tom rolled his eyes.

Point scored, Alec thought.

When they were done, Alec and Ellie remained in the kitchen whereas Tom looked after Fred in the living room.

"You needed to talk to me, didn't you? That's why you invited me to dinner. You wouldn't be so nice to bring me to dinner two nights in a row, would you?" Ellie said as she passed him the plate she was done washing, "Out with it."

"It's Daisy." He groaned.

"What's with Daisy?"

He kept silent.

"Oi," Ellie hit his arm, "I asked what's with Daisy?"

"She – uh, she knows."

"Well, she goes to school. I think she knows a lot of things, Hardy."

"About me, Ellie," Alec put down the plate instantaneously, facing her as he leaned on his side, "about what actually happened between Tess and me."

Ellie stopped washing.

"Don't you dare drop those plates I just bought them today."

"About Tess and you?" Ellie mirrored him, drying off her hands.

"She knows about the affair." It was tempting to refer to her as Miller but he's still not comfortable on addressing her by her first name as well, or her maiden name too that is. But at the moment he was a little too angry at his daughter's new finding.

Alec knew that Ellie knew what it was about but she couldn't seem to say anything else. That's a rare thing for her, he thought – to have nothing to say.

"She asked me to pick her up tomorrow."

Ellie crossed her arms, "You're going to bring her here?"

Alec nodded.

"Okay, then."

"I uh," Alec tried to keep his heartbeat down, his breathing started to come in short breaths, "I'm a little afraid."

"You only act tough, don't you?" She tried to calm him down, teasing him.

"It's too much," Alec wrapped his arms around himself, "Daisy getting back to me, finding you again – all in a few days. It's going too fast, Ellie. And I am afraid. I don't want to disappoint her again. I don't want to disappoint you."

Alec didn't know what he'd expected but it certainly wasn't Ellie taking his hand in hers, "You never disappointed me, Hardy. As far as I know, you've never disappointed anyone. Okay, maybe Fred because I think he preferred your tiny blue cabin."

He let out a small laugh.

"You're going to be fine, Hardy. Everything's falling into place for you again. That's good, innit?"

"But I'm not sure I'm ready for this."

He felt her thumb drawing circles at the back of his hand, "If you need me, I'll be here. I'm not going to leave."

He gripped her hand a little tighter.

"Well, unless they want to promote me to CS somewhere else, of course."

* * *

**P.S. And guys, I appreciated your reviews so much!**


	5. Reconcilations

**A/N: And so comes the continuation. Thank you guys for actually following the story although I really didn't expect to continue it. But still, *shrugs*. And most of all, thank you to those who reviewed! **

**Disclaimer: I would love to but I don't own anything of the show.**

* * *

_Just a two-hour drive, _Alec recalled his daughter saying.

_Just._

Lucky for him, the traffic was easy and he arrived in time to pick up his daughter at her school after dropping by the Sandbrook Police HQ to get the keys to his old home, to collect his daughter's overnight bag. The air was tense in front of the HQ where he agreed to meet Tess for the exchange, as his former colleagues passed by him with a disgust look, a surprised one or a confused one. He didn't know which ones he preferred best.

_"Why didn't you just bring her bag along and put it in your car?"_

_"I'm sorry, Alec! I forgot, okay? I was in a hurry. Why didn't you just take her there so that she can get it herself?"_

_"I would, but your daughter's a little hard-headed."_

_"Like you are."_

At the school, he leaned against his car at the front gate, with his hands in his leather jacket pocket. It was a nice feeling to be able to pick up his daughter home from school again, it was as if he could make it up for all those times he couldn't and didn't. As much as some of the students who walked out were shocked to see his face around again, some were polite, "Good day, Mr. Hardy."

He simply nodded in response. At least these students recognized him – after leaving for goodness knows how long.

When he saw the familiar face amongst the crowd, Alec stood up straight in anticipation and he felt a little shock in his heart as the pacemaker tried to calm down his accelerating heartbeat. Daisy walked right straight up to him, raised her head up to look at her tall dad before greeting him, "Almost couldn't recognise you. The last time I saw you, I thought you didn't have a house."

"Well, if you're going to go on like that I might just leave you here and you can walk home alone."

"Don't have to be alone. I have friends." Daisy gave him a sly smile before she opened up her arms and wrapped it around her dad, "Nice to see you again."

"You too, darlin," Alec returned her embrace, placing a kiss into her hair, "you too."

It was a little awkward, the first half hour of their drive - the pathetic "How's school? Yeah, it's alright." conversation and him trying to convince her that 'shit' is a cuss word. Of course, it wasn't as effective when he eventually called her out for acting like she was a 'smart-arse' when she countered him.

But when Daisy put on her music out loud and started to sing along to it softly, Alec tried to hide a smile. When she gradually started to get louder and was finally singing at the top of her lungs, he could not help but to laugh out loud at her attempts to reach the high notes.

However, the next hour was pretty silent as Daisy slept through it, out of breath from the singing and exhausted from her day's engagement in school. Alec glanced at her familiar figure he had almost forgotten sitting in the passenger seat beside him and started recalling the times when she was younger.

Daisy had always loved road trips but the problem with her was that she could get motion sickness easily that she would sleep through her journeys. He smiled reminiscing the times when they would wind the windows down upon her request so that the wind could blow into her face, helping her get rid of the sickness.

And he drove on into Gracestone, with his daughter quietly by his side. The last time he saw her like that, to him Daisy was still his baby girl. But now, he realised how much she'd grown, all those times apart made him realise that she's turning into a young woman soon and he wasn't prepared for that just yet.

Till then, he's going to savour every moment and make up for all the time they'd lost.

* * *

Upon reaching the gates to his new home, Alec was greeted with a piece of paper taped to the metal bars, "BARBECUE IN MY BACKYARD FOR DINNER TONIGHT SEE YA AT 7"

With a handwriting size like that, he wondered how many of his neighbours managed to read it through the windows of their houses and join them later.

Having parked the car in his lot, Alec nudged his daughter awake, "Come on, Daise. We're here."

"Here, where?" Alec had forgotten how his daughter had picked up a slight Scottish accent from him and how much it's prominent when she wakes up from her slumber.

"My place," He headed out and to the back of the car to get his daughter's overnight and school bag, "Get up, sunshine."

"Yeah, yeah, alright." Daisy leaned her head back into the headrest, losing to the slumber again. Alec shook his head at his daughter, bringing the bags inside and up to her room, when he heard her yell from below, "This is your house?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Bit too big, innit? To live alone in?"

Alec shrugged. He looked at the time on his phone and then yelled for her, "Get cleaned up, will ya? Your things are up here. I'm going to go to the supermarket. D'you want to follow me or stay at home?"

"Is this my room?" Daisy appeared in the doorway.

"Didn't see you there."

"I'll wash up. You get whatever you need to. I'll settle down and probably finish as much homework as I can first. Or maybe a nap. "

"There's a study at the back if you need to use it."

"Well, aren't you prepared to get me back?" Daisy smirked.

Alec rolled his eyes.

She was practically sprawled over her bed when he got back, still in her school uniform. He has half an hour more before the dinner and instead of waking her up straight away, he went to clean himself up, got a shower and laid out his t-shirts on his bed, trying to pick out which one to wear. Alec Hardy never was indecisive about clothes – usually he'd just pick out anything and put it on but he had no idea why he was being so then.

"What?" Alec flinched, wondering where the voice was coming from, "Are you trying to impress someone? Just pick one out, dad."

"Don't be a smart-arse, Daise." Alec turned away instantly trying to hide the scar on his chest from his daughter, "get washed up. We're going to have dinner soon."

"Whatever," His daughter headed for her room, "but really dad, those are just plain shirts of different colours. Get a grip. Go for the grey one. You look nice in grey."

There was a battle of looks in between the father and daughter when he knocked on the house next door, with a bottle of white wine in his hand.

* * *

"How long have you been here, dad?"

"Four days."

"Four days and a date," Daisy gave a sly smile, "_nice._"

"It's not a date, Daise."

His daughter rolled her eyes.

It's going to be a tough night.

But it wasn't. Tom brought them in and led them to the backyard, where Fred was trying hard to blow bubbles.

It was spacious, the backyard. Hardy had not ventured in his own yet and upon seeing Ellie's, he had a few ideas of his own. Ellie had a tiny goal post located at the end of the grass and a round wooden table and a set of chairs to go wit it. Next to it was Ellie at the barbecue pit, turning over skews of goodness know what.

Ridiculous, he thought, to have barbecue for dinner. He walked on over to her with his daughter by his side, holding out the bottle of wine.

"Jesus, Hardy! There are bloody kids about and you brought us bloody wine?" Her curls were pretty neatly pinned up, he noticed.

"Shut up and take it, will ya? I didn't know what else to get."

"You're Daisy, I assume." Ellie reached out her hand, putting down the pair of tongs she was using on the nearest plate, "I'm Ellie."

"Ellie...?" Daisy returned the handshake.

"What? You have a knack for last names too? Just like your dad, aren't you?" Ellie replied, amused. Alec rolled his eyes, the bottle of wine still in his hands. Ellie answered the girl's question still, "Knight, Ellie Knight. But don't you dare be like your father and address me by my last name. Ellie'll do good, alright?"

"Ellie," Daisy repeated the name and smiled before pointing to the pit, "Can I do that for a bit?"

"Yeah, alright. Go ahead. I'll get Tom to help you, yeah?" Ellie stepped aside for the girl to take over, "I'll get the drinks. Do you drink wine? Could she drink, Hardy? Or would you prefer juice?"

"She does drink. Do you want this or juice, darlin?" Alec directed the question to his daughter.

"Juice please, thanks."

"Come on now, Hardy. Help me get the drinks."

And he quietly followed behind, gripping tightly the bottle of wine with an exasperated groan. Alec turned to make sure that his daughter would do fine on her own but Daisy already got that covered when he saw her engaging in a conversation with Tom who had Fred settled on his hip.

In the kitchen, Alec watched as Ellie reached for glasses and placed them on a tray before taking the bottle of wine away and place it into the chiller. He was a tad disappointed at it but he didn't press on the issue and instead, asked a different question, "Anything I could do?"

"Yeah, does she prefer orange or apple juice?" Ellie popped her head out from the refrigerator.

"Apple juice," He replied without hesitation and walked across the kitchen to where she held out two cartons of the drink out to him.

"We don't need ice with it, do we?"

"I bought the wine for a reason, you know."

"Yeah, not tonight. I know your heart is better now but doesn't mean that I'll have you drunk in front of my children."

"It's just wine."

"Better heart but still not less of a wanker."

"Whatever," He admitted defeat and carried the juices over to the tray and proceeded to carry it outside. But before he could go any further beyond the door, he felt a hand on his arm tugging him back.

"Hardy," Her voice was as gentle as ever. Alec couldn't remember how much he missed her concerned tone as much as he missed the days she annoyed him but it's comforting in a way for him because it's how he knows that she's still putting up with him, "try not to worry too much about her, alright?"

He nodded.

And he didn't even have to worry. His daughter was fine at making friends. Unlike him, she was better at making acquaintanceship with Ellie. Half an hour in, Daisy was already laughing at stories Ellie told about working with him in Broadchurch while he sat in between them rolling his eyes and shoving the barbecued food into his mouth.

Even Fred got into her new ring of social circle when Daisy managed to sit the boy down quietly beside her when he wanted some of the food. Although Tom doesn't seem to be as engaged, he participated when Daisy brought up a story of how she would use her dad to convince her mother to let her stay up late just so that she could watch football matches.

It was revealed that he would doze off after ten minutes into it and end up sleeping on the sofa for the night.

* * *

That night, he stood alone in the balcony, leaning on his side and an elbow perched on the railing after having changed and getting ready for bed. It had been a really exhausting day for him - a two-hour drive, bantering with his ex-wife, fetching his daughter from school and then driving back before going for a barbecue - he could barely breathe. But all and all, he never felt so content in a long while and the memories of that day caused his lips to curl up into a smile.

"Are you thinking of your new girlfriend?"

Alec jumped and his smile disappeared instantly, "She's not my girlfriend, Daise."

"Oh, right." Daisy walked into the balcony and bent over, perching her elbows on the railing, "She's your former colleague. Who just happen to live beside you."

"Don't be a smart-arse. It was purely incidental."

"Right."

If it's one thing Alec Hardy could do best, it's sensing the awkwardness of a situation, having been in so many, and he knows at that moment that his daughter had questions for him but he didn't dare make a move. So, he waited till she finally asked, "Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"

"She's just a former co-,"

"I'm not talking about Ellie, dad." Her tone vexed and her arms crossed.

Okay. He took in a deep breath and stood up straight. Wrong question.

"I was just protecting your mum. You didn't have to know."

"You didn't have to have your heart broken."

"It's fine now, innit?"

"Stop deflecting," Daisy stepped up, "You know what I'm talking about."

He sighed.

"You almost died," Alec's eyes widened, "I was talking to Ellie when we did the dishes. She slipped when I asked her how it was working with you."

"You didn't need to know."

"She threatened she'll kill me if I told you that she slipped about it."

"We'll have to get you under a protection program soon."

"_In her arms, dad_," Her voice turned shaky, "you don't have your partner suddenly dying in your arms when they seem fine. I didn't need to know? At least _she_ deserved to know! You didn't tell me but you could have at least told her!"

"That'll just put me out of job."

"You want to pull that on me. Really? You could have died and I'll never know the truth!"

"You didn't need to know!"

Getting angry was the last thing he want to be, really, especially around his daughter. And also because he didn't like how his pacemaker would give him that tingly shock in his chest and how his head started to spin when his heartbeat rates increased rapidly. Almost losing his balance, he clutched on tight to the railing, Daisy instinctively putting a hand on his arm to steady him, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that to you."

"I'll be fine." He recovered easily, "I just haven't felt that in a very long time."

Daisy led him back to his room, locking the balcony door behind her. Alec sat beside his daughter at the edge of his bed, "How did you come to know of me and your mum?"

Daisy shifted herself and leaned against the headboard instead, her legs stretched out to her dad and Alec knew instantly what she wanted out of it. Alec moved a little nearer to her and put her leg up on his laps and started massaging it - it always helped her relax before she goes to sleep, "When we were in Broadchurch, I just wanted to know where you lived. So, I asked around together with Diana. Remember Diana my best friend?"

He nodded, still paying close attention as she continued, "I met a woman, can't exactly remember her name, and she said you left a long time ago."

"Where'd you meet her?"

"Was by the beach. It's a nice beach. She was walking with a guy. Good looking, that guy. I remembered him as the photographer at our match. Worked for the papers."

"Stevens? Olly?"

"Yeah, that's right." Daisy switched her leg, "And we sat down on the bench. Got ice cream because there was one nearby. He continued to talk about how he was impressed by you. That you could continue on after losing everything in Sandbrook."

"Olly? Impressed by me? More like oppressed by me, I'd say."

"Still," Daisy rolled her eyes, he rolled his back, "I asked what you lost in Sandbrook. He wouldn't say at first, kept saying that I'll probably know because your name is pretty much in every person's mind in Sandbrook. But he was obviously hiding something."

"Bloody Olly."

"Language, dad." Alec released of her leg and sat beside her, leaning against the headboard as well, "Wasn't his fault. Pushed him like crazy. Asked me how I knew you. Said I was an old neighbour. Made me promise not to tell anyone. You've got to give him credit, dad. He was really keeping it for no one but only to himself."

Alec sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I think you can get a job with the papers."

"But why didn't you get the pacemaker done sooner?" When Alec was about to answer, she interjected, "Truth."

He took a deep breath in and sighed, getting up and walked to the door, indicating that she should be going, "I didn't think I needed it."

She crossed her arms and stayed put.

"Bedtime, go on."

"Not till you tell me why you didn't put it in earlier," Daisy cocked her head, "That's the thing with you! You keep everything to yourself even if you know you can never make it on your own!"

"Daisy," Alec shifted his balance, "I'm not going to argue with you."

What was he expecting? For her to stand up and go? He had forgotten how she got her stubbornness from him as Alec observed her sat up straight, folding her legs in.

He submitted and went back to the side of the bed beside her, "I just didn't want to, alright?"

"That's it?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I lost you, your mum, my dignity and my job. People turned their backs on me, Daise and I don't have anyone to turn to."

He felt her hand take his in, "I realised that I was never going to get anything back but I held the case close to me. But I told myself if anything were to happen to me, that's just it. I never felt the need to continue on living. Didn't want to at that time."

As he was about to continue, he felt a squeeze and she interjected, "Why did you decided to put it on after Joe Miller was being convicted? I know you wanted to solve Sandbrook, but really, there wasn't a need for you to stay."

He turned to look at her, his face stoic but he didn't quite really agree with her.

He didn't answer.

But in that instant, Alec knows she didn't need one.


	6. The Times We Never Had

**A/N: My laptop crashed aka I lost everything that I had written for this story. But I managed to recall what I want to write but it wasn't as close to th e one I had. This chapter is a little choppy and I don't quite like it. Still, I hope it's okay.**

**Disclaimer: Definitely don't own Broadchurch.**

* * *

Alec is a quiet man and there are many things that he would never say out loud or admit to. And one of those things is how he actually liked the view of his backyard from the window in his room. It wasn't as nice a view as the fields that surrounded his parents' summerhouse in Aberdeen but it's still nice nonetheless. He walked up to the window, rubbing his face to wake himself up and watched the over the still Saturday morning under the sunless sky.

A knock on the door snapped him out of his musing and when the door opened to reveal Daisy with a plate in one hand and a glass of apple juice in the other, his lips curled up into a smile.

"Still the early riser, I see." Daisy walked up to his bed and settled down.

"It's Saturday morning. Why are you up so early?" His accent was still thick from the sleep.

"To make you breakfast?"

Alec walked back to his bed, almost drooling as the smell of omelette overwhelmed his room, "Not like I can't make it for myself."

"Well, you're welcome, dad. I appreciate the gratitude."

He rolled his eyes and poked into his omelette, "No, seriously. Why are you up so early? It's what? Only 7? Have you had your breakfast yet?"

"Do you interrogate your suspects like that? One question after the other? How do you get answers out like that?"

He shrugged.

Daisy rolled her eyes. He took note of that, adding it to the list of traits that he realised she had inherited from him.

"Tom wanted to practise football. Asked if I could help him out with it."

"I forgot you used to play football."

"I think you forgot a lot of things about me."

He had more of the omelette, "I don't. You grew up. I wasn't there. I missed out."

She looked away and he knew he must have said something wrong but he didn't know what. And worst, he didn't know what to do. So, he finished up his meal and drank up his juice, "Alright, get washed up. I'm going to clean up and get you two to wherever it is you need to go."

"You don't have to worry about that. Ellie will drive us."

"You better don't get too close to her. Both of you getting along will only mean trouble to me."

And indeed it was true, what he said - that Ellie and Daisy getting along was nothing but trouble for him. Tom as well.

They had all gone into Ellie's car on her insistence and she drove them to a field. When they reached, she pulled out two tiny goal posts from the trunk of her car and passed it two the teenagers for them to set up. While Fred had already gone to pluck out wild flowers, Ellie took a mat out and shoved it into Alec's arms as she continued to take out a plastic full of crisps and juice boxes.

"Those crisps aren't good for my heart, you know."

"Too bad. You can join Fred pluck out some wild flowers and make a salad with it."

He owed Daisy the gratitude for making him breakfast.

* * *

He thought the football practise was all.

He was wrong.

After Ellie brought them home to get washed up, Alec was about to take a nap on the couch when he felt tiny hands smacking his face. He sat up, infuriated, before he realised it was his little neighbour, picking up the little boy and settled him down beside him, "How are you and your mum always so sprightly?"

When he heard muffled footsteps down his stairs, Alec stood with the boy on his hip, raising an eyebrow as he directed a question to his daughter, "Where are you going? We just reached home."

"Ellie is bringing us out. Didn't you pay attention just now? She wants to bring us to the arcade and then lunch afterwards." His daughter replied as she tied up her brown hair.

"Fine," Alec put Fred down, "you take this boy back to his mum and enjoy yourself."

"Mum wants you to join us." Tom interjected, as he appeared at Alec's front door.

"No, I'm too tired."

"Mum warned me you'd say that. She asked me to tell you not to be such a knob and just come along." Tom bent down and picked up his little brother who was tugging at his shirt.

"Well your mum should really watch her language around children."

* * *

But of course Alec wouldn't want Ellie to overspend on his daughter and he eventually tagged along, half-dozing off in the front seat of Ellie's car. He would have appreciated it if he could actually get the little eye rest if Fred hadn't been tapping his shoulder from behind, demanding for attention from his grumpy friend.

Tom pulled him away and settled the boy on his laps, distracting him with a game on his phone, "Uncle Alec wants a hush hush, Eddie. Don't disturb."

"Who the hell is Eddie?" Alec grumbled, adjusting himself in the seat to sit upright.

And he saw Ellie rolled her eyes beside him, "That's what Tom calls Fred sometimes. Fred is the name of my youngest son, if you've forgotten again."

Daisy scoffed at the back, "Still having troubles with names, then."

He still couldn't quite grasp the point of kiddy rides. You put a child there and they just sit in it while the machine bops up and down and apparently wee Fred agrees with him - after one ride, the young one went about tugging at people's shirts to have a try at whatever game they were playing. He tugged at his mum's distracting orange jacket (Alec is seriously not happy with the jacket's comeback) but she couldn't be bothered being in the middle of a pinball game, "Give me a bit, yeah, Fred?"

And Alec, who was standing beside her all along, felt his fatherly instincts overwhelming him as much as it was annoying him at the same time, reached his hand out to the boy, "Let's take a walk, aye lad?"

And the boy gladly wrapped his hand around two of his fingers and pulled his tall and lanky friend out into the pavement outside. Alec followed suit, bending down slightly, not wanting to strain the boy from his hand being pulled up too high. When he realised how uncomfortable it was for him, Alec decided to just pick up the little boy and settle him on his hip as he walked down the street surrounded by shops, following Fred's direction as the boy pointed out, "You know your way around here already, lad?"

Apparently he does.

Because two minutes later they stopped in front of an ice-cream shop and Fred cried when Alec decided to walk off. Somehow or rather, the little one managed to convince Alec enough with punching the latter's chest and Alec had to set him down and brought them into the shop.

* * *

"I just bought him that jacket and you let him paint ice-cream on it?" Ellie nagged.

Alec ignored the question, quietly licking off his ice-cream as he sat side by side the young boy on a bench at the playground next to the ice-cream shop.

Ellie crossed her arms and shifted her balance, "Hardy, you are the worst."

"Should get that on a t-shirt for me," Alec calmly and flatly replied.

Daisy and Tom came along after, each with one ice-cream and Tom asked, "Where are we going to have lunch?"

"Unbelievable," The curly hair woman muttered as she watched over the four of them.

* * *

Daisy had forgot to mention to him that Ellie didn't intend to go home after lunch as well because after that, she had brought them to a nearby castle ruin where the two teenagers continued with their football whereas Fred was already curled up sleeping on the mat in between his mom and Alec. Alec himself had kicked his shoes off and laid down on his side, "Did you plan all this?"

"What?" Ellie replied him with a mouthful of the homemade club sandwich she had brought along.

"This whole day out with Daisy," Alec turned at her with a confused look, wondering how she could still eat after lunch, "Did you plan all this?"

Ellie laughed, "Don't be so daft. I didn't plan this for you. Tom and I talked about this a long time ago before you bloody came along and decided to be my neighbour. I just decided to bring you along. Not like you're going to make new friends here anyway."

Alec let out a sigh and tucked his arms under his head as a pillow, closing his eyes, "Thank you, Miller."

He winced the moment he realised what he'd called her but he couldn't help the habit. However, he was glad that she didn't mind when she responded, "Shut up, Hardy. Just go to sleep. You are going to bore me anyway."

But he continued watching her eat her club sandwiches instead.

* * *

That night, they skipped dinner because everyone was too exhausted. Daisy crashed on the couch, still with her shoes on, falling asleep instantly. Hardy shook his head and carried her up to her room.

If Alec could describe his first week in Gracestone, he'd say that it's alright with the grumpiest tone and that he could barely sleep at night.

If people should ask him why, he'd say he doesn't know. Truth is, he does. He gets restless at night and he tosses and turns himself in bed but he couldn't quite get the shut eye. Like his first two nights, Alec brought himself back up to the roof top, this time round with shoes on, and sat on the parapet.

It's a peaceful night, like it always was in Gracestone. The wind is stronger that night and he wished he had put on a thicker jumper instead but he sat still where he was, reflecting about the day he had.

And it made his lips curve up into a smile.

For once, he didn't feel as lonely as he'd always been, never thought anyone would make him feel so included. The day was beyond everything that he imagined getting back into the world would be - his daughter coming back into terms with him, spending time with Ellie and her sons at the ruins, the arcade, eating ice-cream.

He felt his chest tightened, a sudden flood of emotions overwhelming him, making it hard to breathe. Alec placed a hand to his chest, trying to soothe it, taking in deep breaths. Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands on him, one rubbing his back gently, the other holding onto his hand rubbing his chest, "For god's sake, can you try not to die when I am around?"

Alec rolled his eyes at Ellie's all too annoyed tone and he responded in his tone, "Didn't ask you to save me."

"Shut up. I don't want the money you put in for the pacemaker to go to waste. You want to die, just please don't let it be around me," She hit his shoulder lightly, "Jesus, you alright?"

He nodded and let out a cough.

Ellie folded her arms across her chest, "What's the matter with you? Is your pacemaker working?"

"Why are you here?" He snarled.

"What do you mean why? I have my own rooftop too you knob. I was thinking of getting some air before I sleep but then you just happen to be dying out here."

"How did you get to my side?"

"I fuckin teleport. How do you think, shitface? I bloody parkoured over that stupid metal railing," Ellie tilted her head, "Bloody hell, what happened just now?

Alec stood up and walked over to the metal railing, silently hinting her that he didn't want to talk about it. But, she stayed put, and had instead, sat where he was. He knew she wouldn't budge and so he had to walk back over to her, "I'm alright. I just had a lot of things in mind."

Ellie threw her arms in the air, "Can't you just like confide in someone? That's what people do to make themselves feel better, Hardy. Not keep everything to themselves. Why the hell did I even think that I am a friend to you when you don't even want to talk to me about anything? What's the point of finding me again if you couldn't trust me enough?"

"I didn't find you. You just happened to be my neighbour."

"Oh, don't be a smart-arse," And Alec felt a punch to his right shoulder, "I'll get you a bloody diary to write in if I have to."

Alec rubbed the hurt area and then sat beside her – almost too closely he realised, "I don't want to bother anyone."

"Shut up. Just fuckin' spill it already before I leave you here to die alone in the cold. You bother me all the time anyway, might as well make good use of it."

There was a slight truth to what she said, that perhaps confiding in someone will help but he didn't know who to talk to until then – when she had blatantly laid it out for him that she was willing to be his listening ear.

He sighed.

But on another note, he was grateful to have returned to the real world and still have someone who still looks out for him.

And that so happened to be Ellie.

He thought maybe that was just her way of repaying him after him being by her side through Joe's trial after the whole town turned against her. However, to him it was mostly her taking care of him, helping him through both the Broadchurch and Gracestone cases. She was there for him when he almost died in her arms. She was the first to be by his side when he underwent surgery. She was the only one there to actually check up on him after the cases closed, the only one to know that he was going to leave Broadchurch three months ago.

Alec didn't plan to tell anyone on leaving – hoping to disappear and also because it's not as if anybody wanted or needed him there – but there she was, still with him.

And here she is, found again and beside him, still checking up on him in her over-concerned manners that irk him so much. He could never express how that meant to him because putting his feelings into words or even talking nicely in general wasn't one of his strengths. So, he decided to keep his gratitude to himself and went to reach out for her hand to both their surprise, taking it in and placing it on his lap, as he turned his face to look at her directly, "I'm fine more than I've ever been."

"Then," He started to draw circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, causing her to almost stutter, "Is your pacemaker working?"

Alec knew however that wasn't the question she had in mind, "It's fine."

"Fine. Just don't bloody die on me."

"Right." He stood up, still with her hand in his, dragging her over to the railing to send her off, "Come on, then. Off you go. Get rested."

One part of him was hesitant of letting go, but the other was telling him that he might need her company, maybe take up her offer of confiding in her. But when she let go and crossed her arms again as she turned to face him, he decided to let her go before she decided to punch him again – this time in his face.

She didn't, she rolled her eyes at him, "You are such a pain."

But he couldn't seem to resist himself and he just went at her, slowly, wrapping his arms around her, testing, giving her a chance to back out.

And again, she didn't. Instead, she just sunk into his embrace and buried her face onto his chest and he rested his chin on top of her head while she complained, "Why the hell do I care so bloody much about you?"

"Just shut up. You think you're the only one capable of caring? Why the hell do you think I worry so much?"

"You shit."


	7. A Brand New Start

Sunday comes along and Alec spent his morning at home with his daughter as she finished the last bits of her homework, making breakfast for two and bringing it up to the study where she had been. In the afternoon, he brought her to pick out some stuff to put on the rooftop and the backyard.

After arguing on which swing set looks better on the rooftop and which garden table fits better in the backyard for hours, Alec brought her to lunch before driving her back to Sandbrook.

"You didn't bring as much stuff back." Alec reminded her, afraid that she might have left her things behind by accident.

"No, I didn't." Daisy replied as she updated her Twitter status, "I left some clothes behind so that I don't have to bring much the next time."

"What?" Alec raised an eyebrow, taking a glance at his daughter, "You plan on coming over again?"

She dropped her hands onto her laps before glaring at her father and rolled her eyes, "What? You don't want me to come over?"

"No, no no no," This is not the right time to forget how to handle the steering wheel, he mentally scolded himself so as to try and focus on the road, "I mean, I'd love for you to come over. But will your mum be alright with that?"

"She'll understand. Besides, it's not fair that you don't share the burden of taking care of your own child, right?"

"Don't be clever, Daise."

The girl shrugged her shoulders and picked her phone up again, scrolling through her timeline, "So. You and Miller. How long have you been together?"

Alec grabbed the wheel tighter and rolled his eyes. But out of all, he was more surprised at how she referred to Ellie by Miller, "I arrested her husband, for goodness sake, Daise..." He paused for a while before turning to her, "Miller?"

"I don't like Ellie. Or Knight, for that matter. Miller suits her. Well, not the husband, apparently." She sighed and dropped her hands again, shifting in her seat to face her father, "But it's obvious that she admires you. Well, you... a little mixed signals here and there, but still, you put up with her. That must be something, right?"

"How do you even know that she admires me? We don't even get along."

"But you're not denying the fact that you like her, right?"

"Don't be a smart-arse, Daise."

"Okay," His daughter squinted her eyes, "so, you do like her-"

"I didn't say that."

"Uh uh, you're not denying either." She pointed a finger at him.

Alec cursed under his breath, barely making a sound.

"Alright, so you like her," Daisy pulled her hand back in and picked up her phone again to scroll through another social media app that Alec never heard of, "and she likes you... I think."

"You think?"

"Woah, relax." Daisy double tapped on the screen of her phone, "I think. Maybe because of the way she smiles around you. Or does she always smile like that?"

"She smiles like that all the time. I don't like it. So bloody merry, that woman."

"Nah, I think that smile only occurs around you."

"You not feeling giddy, Daise? Drowsy?"

"Good try, dad. I'm a little giddy, yes. But I'm not gonna lay off this for another bit," She locked the phone and adjusted herself so that her seat leans back, "Anyway, she takes you out to dinner at her place. You brought her wine. She talks about you a lot. She brought us to picnic. Dad, that was obviously a date."

"It's a family day out."

"Oh, so we're family now?"

He simply rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, "I admire her, Daise. That's it. I wouldn't dare go far. I arrested her husband, for god's sake!"

"There we go," Daisy crossed her arms, her face beaming with a smile, "a confession."

"Edward is bringing in new motorbikes into his workshop this Friday. I want to buy one. You want to accompany me there after school?"

Daisy shifted in her seat, her back facing her father as she closed her eyes, "So bad at changing topics. Whatever. You pick one out yourself. You still talk to Edward?"

"Nah. He called me to ask how I've been when his son told him that he saw me at school fetching you up. Took the chance to ask him for discounts on his bikes."

"Then, what? Are you going to pick me up on a bike?"

"Aye."

"Dad, it's going to be a two hour ride."

"I can get a car for you."

"What are you? Starting a new life from scratch? You using the savings from the investment?"

"What are you? A copper? Why so many questions?"

"Dad, you're splurging. You bought a house and everything in it, a car, a new heart and now you want a bike?"

"It's not really a new heart-"

"Point is, you spending on all those, are you going to get a job soon?"

"I applied for one already."

"Back to being a copper?"

"I'm going to teach at the academy."

"What a bloody joke."

* * *

Apparently it was to everyone else except him. Tess had asked him of what he was going to do and he gave the same answer only to get a laugh in his face, "Hardy, you don't even know how to talk."

Ouch.

That was definitely a pang to his weak heart but he knows that he could do better than he did before. He wasn't forced to do so then – teaching those young hopeful coppers – but he's willing to now. He realised that being a detective took too much of his time that he lost the ones he could have spent with his growing daughter or loving his ex-wife better.

But Alec has a heart fixed, a life coming back together and he wouldn't want it to go to waste by taking the job that costs almost his life and most of his time. He loved that job, more than anything else - the mystery, the thrill - but the pain and burden that comes along with it was just too much for him to take in, for him to be able to sleep peacefully at night.

Still, he would definitely take it up again if offered. There are harshness and cruelty in the world and Alec wanted to make good and help those he can help with what he does. Saving the world one person at a time, he will call it. A bit daft, for him to still be thinking like that for someone his age but all that matters to him is that he could keep the people he cared about safe.

Even if it's just Daisy alone.

But Ellie had had a place in his life now. One way or another, she had managed to save a special place in his mind - maybe even a tiny spot in his heart as well - for herself and her family that he would do anything to keep them safe too. Ellie had made it clear to him the night before that she was going to look out for him, and he's going to look out for her to keep it that way.

Alec had seen her hurt and he'll never let her be again. Because that's what friends do.

Or is she more than just that?

What did Daisy saw in between the two of them that he hadn't?

* * *

Alec returned to Sandbrook the same day and had bought some groceries along the way, planning to fix himself a meal at home.

He was a tad disappointed that there was no note attached to his gates nor was there a woman in a bright orange jacket standing at the front of his house. But of all, he was still grateful that he doesn't have to come home to such a hideous sight.

All washed up, stomach full, body exhausted, he pulled out the suit that Daisy had helped him pick up from the laundry and hung it by the window. He stood back, his hands on his hips, scanning the outfit from top to bottom.

He wasn't sure if he was quite ready for the next day.

* * *

But apparently Ellie was. She's out half an hour earlier, having to send her sons to school and the child-minders. However, that doesn't stop her from being the cheerful and annoying bit she is as she greeted him from her car while he stood in the balcony, putting on the suit jacket.

Again, the neighbours' eyes were focused on both of them. Alec obviously realised this but he couldn't be bothered. In the distance, he saw Julie observing them with a knowing smile.

* * *

Seated in the CS' office, he became rather restless. Not because he was nervous but he'd been waiting for almost half an hour and his eyes are giving away - other than the fact that waiting out really his strongest pursuit.

When the door finally swung open, a female officer strode in and muttered apologies over and over, "Sorry, Mr Hardy. I had some discussion to get through with another force just now. Anyway, how are you?"

"Aye," Alec stood up and took the hand that was reaching for his before he gave it a firm, strong shake, "I'm alright."

"Right," She didn't even make it round to behind her table and she went straight down to business, her hands on her hips, "I'll be frank with you on why I called you up here."

She gestured for him to sit down and he obeyed.

"I'm Keira Anderson. CS here in Gracestone. But you might have known that already. Anyway," She leaned on the corner of her desk and crossed her arms, "I was told you were from Broadchurch, right?"

"Aye," Alec nodded curiously.

"DI there once, are you not? Sandbrook as well?"

"Aye." He repeated the action.

"Then you must know DI Miller."

"Miller?" He sat at the edge of his seat, wondering at the surname, "Ellie?"

"Ellie," CS Anderson raised her eyebrows, "you two must have been closer than I thought then."

He kept silent.

"Right," Anderson walked around and sat in her chair, "has she ever told you about the DI position?"

"Yes."

"Were you aware of the position being offered to you before?"

"No. I took time off the force and was unreachable."

Anderson leaned forward and settled her joined hands on her desk, "I was informed that you taught at the academy in Broadchurch and at that, you didn't do much of a good job."

"I wasn't -,"

"I have a DS position available for you."

Alec's mouthed gaped and silence overwhelmed the room. He fidgeted in his seat, not knowing how to respond.

"My DS had moved out to Wessex and looking at your record with DI Miller, I would love to have you two to be able to work together on this force. Here in Gracestone, we may not have big cases. But other districts would need a different set of eyes and minds and they will come to us for assistance and I believe both you and DI Miller could do a good job at that."

* * *

The coffeehouse nearby the HQ was initially empty and Alec had sat himself there since the meeting with Anderson till lunchtime and a group of officers sat down around a table. He sunk lower in his seat and groaned at the increasing level of chatters, gripping on tight to his cold cup of Earl Grey. When he saw the radiant glow of Ellie's curls as she stepped through the door, he sat up straight again as she scanned through the place before making her way to his table, and placing her phone in front of him that displayed his text message:

**[need to talk. HQ coffeehouse]**

He raised his hand for the waitress and Ellie placed her orders as he rubbed his eyes.

"What is it now, Hardy?" She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

"CS Anderson..." He sighed, "She, uh..."

"Spill it."

Alec rolled his eyes, "She offered me DS."

Ellie rolled hers and shook her head, "That's all?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "You alright with that?"

"I vouched for you," Alec's eyes widened, "Anderson walked into my office the other day with your application in hand. Do you really think I will put the young officers through you in the academy?"

Alec leaned back in his seat and took a sip out of his cup, staring at her in disbelief, "Well, uh... Thank you?"

Ellie shook her head as a smile started to curl from the corners of her mouth, "Unbelievable."

He let out a small laugh.

A laugh.

He hadn't been able to do that in such a long time around other people. He had one the week before with his daughter but a laugh around Ellie, he realised that his life is changing so rapidly he didn't even notice it, "Come over to my place tonight with the boys. I'll make dinner."

"Alec Hardy, sir. Are you actually celebrating?"

* * *

Alec had made it clear to CS Anderson that he wouldn't be able to start work until the next Monday because he had some things to settle on that Friday although he's free for the rest of the days. But she had insisted for him to start as soon as possible and he went to work the very next day and despite leaving home half an hour later than Ellie, he arrived before she did.

And he was welcomed warmly by the others, particularly one Detective Petrie, a friendly young woman who greeted him at the door, "Your desk is next to mine, anyway."

One annoying thing about the people in Gracestone is that everyone is just too bloody merry in the morning. They step into the bullpen with a smile on their faces and they greeted everyone from the entrance before making their way to their desks. Alec had the temptation to just bury his head into his table with every greeting but he tried to keep his facial muscles up when one by one they went up to him and introduce themselves. It's like being the new foreign kid in class really, "Why did you move here? Where were you from? Do you have a family?"

Ellie's morning greeting was like a siren, it blared through the bullpen and everyone turned to her to return her greeting with their own and a wave of the hand. He knew she saw his grumpy look that he had thrown at her, silently pleading her to get them off him, but she smiled it away and walked straight into her office. The rest went back to questioning him, "Heard you worked on the Broadchurch and Sandbrook child murders. You solved it with DI Miller, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Alec was surprised however at how they are doing the background digging, none of them touched on the topic of his failure in Broadchurch or about having to arrest Ellie's former spouse. He was grateful for that and he was even more grateful for Ellie to have finally stepped out of her office, leaning against the door jamb, "Alright, everyone. Hardy, welcome to Gracestone," she gave him a nod and he returns it, "Dorset wants to know if we had managed to keep track of the Racers' distribution?"

"We have people tracking down the Racers' distribution. But it's a small operation here. We can make our own bust if Dorset allows," One DS Henry replied, being at the edge of his seat, hopeful for a positive reply.

"I'll inform Dorset. But until then, prepare everything you have on Racers' distribution and give it to me after lunch," Smiling slyly as she noticed the scowl on his face, "I'll have it all sent to them by then. I'm going to make some tea. Anyone wants any?"

All of them shook their heads and said their thanks and Ellie walked off to the pantry.

"Excuse me," Hardy pushed his chair back, "I need a cuppa."

The rest gave him the space and went back to their desks, "It's nice meeting you, Hardy."

Hardy attempted to return them a smile.

When he reached the pantry, Ellie had already prepared two mugs on the counter as she leaned against it, waiting for the water to boil. He moved to stand in front of her, quietly mirroring her position and stared at the kettle like she was, exchanging no form of verbal communication between them. Ellie looked up to him, a cunning smile slowly forming on her face.

Alec glared back at her like he always does, furrowed eyebrows, demanding eyes, his hand on his hip as he shook his head.

"You know that's not going to work on me anymore," Ellie took the kettle as it clicked, indicating the water had boiled, "Clean shaven and your hair neatly combed back, you look like you're fresh out of the academy, Hardy. Harmless."

Alec took in the mug she was holding out for him, "You'll have my resignation letter later on your desk after lunch."

"Awww," She feigned pity, a hand to her chest and pouted, "I'd hate to see you go."

He walked away, rolling his eyes, leaving her behind laughing to herself.

"Hardy," She called out.

He stopped in his tracks, his head tilted and a hand on his hip as he turned to face a still smiling Ellie. The smile wasn't mocking him, wasn't of her pleasure of teasing him. It was a smile of gratefulness.

"You'll be fine. I'll see you at lunch, alright?"

Lunch was a pain.

The two went out after everybody had gone off and when they arrived at the coffeehouse, they went for the corner table Hardy had sat at the day before.

Apparently, everyone at the bullpen were seated together at a big table and when Hardy opened the door for Ellie to pass, all eyes were set on them as they went straight for the corner table Hardy had settled at the day before.

"Will they stop looking at us?" Hardy whispered a question to her ear as she walked before him.

"They will if we sit with them. Because that's what I do most of the time."

"Should we?"

"Do you?"

"No."

"Then, stop being a child and just have your lunch, will ya?"

He groaned, "Why are you still Miller?"

"Didn't get the divorce until two weeks in Gracestone. Now, stop talking."

* * *

While the week passed with him trying to catch up on their little drug operation case, Friday came along and he took the day off like Anderson had promised to grant. His car arrived in the early morning and he bid farewell to his neighbour and current boss as both Ellie and his car went off at the same time.

**Daisy H: [are you gg to get me a car]**

**Sent: [do you need one]**

**Daisy H: [you still getting that bike you want] **

**Sent: [yes]**

**Daisy H: [I'll have that car]**

**Sent: ****[ok. I'll call for one. You go home after school first. I'll ride alongside your car when it arrives]**

**Daisy H: [ok. see you.]**

**Sent: [keep your phone away. don't use it in class. I don't want it confiscated.] **

* * *

Picking out the bike was not as time-consuming as he thought it would be. Hell, it took him less than 15 minutes even. But dealing with an old friend was. Edward had prepared tea with biscuits for them to have as they reminisced together about their younger days in the academy before the joining the force, a time over a decade ago for both. They talked about the long rides they would take till the sunset and the one time they had to hitchhike back because they ran out of diesel.

Hardy is not a sentimentalist and he doesn't have much emotional attachment to anyone or anything before but it became clear to him that sometimes, looking back isn't a bad thing after all.

Moral of the day: Look back, don't stare. Walk on.

Alec was glad he managed to reach back at the house before Tess returned from work. Daisy had prepared herself some biscuits and offered her dad some - he turned it down with a scowl on his face. As she packed her stuff, Alec called for a car.

"Dad?" She yelled from her room.

"What?"

"Is that your bike up on the driveway?"

"Aye."

"Phantom Shadow?"

"Well done, darlin'. What's wrong with it?"

"Good job."

He shook his head and smiled, as he took out the apple juice from the fridge to pour himself some.

* * *

The feeling of riding a bike again needs a lot of getting used to but he got over that in just a short while. By the time he reached home, it was way beyond dinner time and his daughter had once again, fell asleep in the car and couldn't wake up. Alec paid the driver, got her bag and thanked the driver for his troubles before carrying his daughter in his arms, huffing and panting his way to the door.

Daisy, however, stirred in her sleep and had woken up just as he passed the gates of his house. He exhaled a loud sigh a relief and put her down to stand on her own as he rummaged his pockets for the house keys, "I might need a heart transplant after this."

"No, dad. You need to exercise."

Sometimes, he really doesn't understand how one could still have a smile on their faces despite the day ending. And one he'd never understand would be Ellie. She appeared at his gates as he was about to bring his motorbike in, a plate in her hand, a smile on her face as she stood opposite him, across the motorbike, "I made extra lasagne."

"I don't want tomato sauce all over my bike," He continued to push it inside.

"Well," The smile was wiped off her face instantly, "I might just spill it everywhere if you're going to be rude."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. Alec knew that Ellie would have understood that it was his sign of gratitude and defeat at the same time - defeat of being in a bicker with her. Ellie smiled before making her way into his house.

Alec took a deep breath in.

That woman can smile and make her way through anybody's hearts, really. She's too thoughtful and caring of a person even though he made her drive him about against her will. He's starting to think that that trait is one of her biggest personal flaws.

Alec made his way through the living room, waking Daisy up, who had apparently resigned on the sofa, "Miller brought us dinner."

She brought her face up from being buried in the furniture, "Oh, good. Food."

Ellie had taken the liberty of asking Daisy about her week, about school. Alec couldn't thank her more for both the dinner and for asking the unnecessary questions about classes and homework. But being the way he is, he kept the gratitude to himself. Daisy talked her dinner away with Ellie that she almost forgotten about her dad's new job, "How's the teaching going on, dad?"

Alec growled.

"He didn't tell you?" Ellie perched her elbows on the kitchen island, "He's working for me now."

Daisy swallowed her food, "DS?"

"Eat up, Daise," Alec grunted through his mouthful of lasagne.

When all the dishes were dried and the kitchen cleaned up, Daisy excused herself to get cleaned up and to get to bed. Alec had taken himself to the sofa, resting his head against the back of it. Ellie sat down beside him a few minutes after, laughing as she placed a hand on his lap, "Got to be used to being a father again, huh?"

"Single working father. How do you even manage that on your own?" His accent thickened as he grumbled.

"Don't be such a jesse. Daisy comes over only on weekends. You know, I really never thought of seeing you being so domestic."

"Where's Tom?"

"Over in Broadchurch. Olly came around to pick him up just now. They're going camping."

"Wee-,"

"Fred's asleep. Gone hours ago. Wasn't feeling well. Missed you, I guessed."

And they hung in there in silence, the both of them with their heads rested against the back of the sofa, their eyes closed.

"New bike?"

"Aye."

"Nice."

"How's work?"

"Dorset's making the bust this Tuesday. Paperwork. The others missed you."

"Did you miss me?"

"Don't be such a soppy sod." Ellie gave his thigh a slap. He growled in pain, rubbing the area.

But he purposely caught hold of her hand and laughed, "I missed you, too."

"Hardy, if this is a way of you trying to hit on me so as to make me your wife just because you can't cope being a single father, I'll tell you right now it will never work.

"Oi," He gripped her hand tighter and rolled his eyes, "I never want to do that to you even."

He sat straighter in his seat, covering their hands with his other, as he took a deep breath and tried to take in the whole situation they were in. If close to a year ago, they could never see eye to eye, the woman before him now has his back. She had proven to him over and over, from time to time that she is going to ever stay and that she will always be supporting him. So, he took a deep breath in before he could even process his thoughts, his hands already brought hers up to his lips, as he settled for a gentle peck on it.

It sent her speechless as much as it had made him the same as well but like Alec, Ellie managed to get a grip of herself as quickly as the surprise had caught her.

"Thank you for dinner. Thank you for everything and for being a friend."

If there's one thing Alec could be certain of, it was how the situation is going to go awkward between both of them. Three months ago, when he left, he never thought that he'd ever meet her again – he was sure of it, even. But a day didn't pass that he didn't wonder about her well-being and now here she is, sitting beside him, her hand in his, fine and living – better than he ever thought she'd be. Three months ago, she wouldn't even hug it off despite him bidding farewell.

"Never would have pegged you for soppy." She laughed it off.

He leaned back again, taking his hand away from her and folded his arms; disappointed that she didn't take him seriously.

"Thank you for being mine too." He heard her murmur softly, "Back in Broadchurch. Thanks for being my friend. I hope we can still be?"

He laughed and put his arms around her shoulder, bringing her closer to himself, her head leaning against his shoulder, "Aye. 'Course we can. Never would have pegged you for soppy."


	8. Truth Be Told

One image that Alec would never have imagined ever seeing would be Ellie in his house with Fred lying on her lap as she took a nap on his couch. She had spent the whole Saturday afternoonhelping him and Daisy move in the swing set and furniture for the backyard that had arrived. Although most of the time it was just Ellie bickering with him on his decision to place the things, he appreciated that she managed to finish helping him at all.

He let them have a few more hours to themselves and went up to the study to help Daisy with her homework.

"Which one?"

"Math."

"Aich. I hate Math."

"I know. But you're good at it."

* * *

Sunday came and Hardy had to drive Daisy back with Ellie and Fred in tow when the wee boy wouldn't stop crying as Daisy bid farewell.

"You want to come along?"

"You don't mind?"

"Well, if it's going to shut wee Fred up, I can't do much, can I?"

For once, Daisy managed not to sleep within the first hour of the drive, having to tend to Fred until he fell asleep at the back with his head on her lap, lying across the seats.

"Sorry 'bout Fred, Daisy." Ellie turned to the teenager.

"It's okay," Daisy yawned, "It's alright." And she dozed off straight after.

* * *

Tess obviously wasn't happy that Ellie had tagged along. However, Alec knows that she is in no position to make a mark about his friend. She invited them for dinner though - Tess and Hardy sat at opposite ends, Daisy beside nearer to her mother, Ellie beside her grumpy friend with Fred on her laps.

"So, you two are together again now?" Tess tried to get them engaged in a conversation over the too awkwardly silent dinner.

"Well..." Ellie responded.

"Aye." Alec finished her sentence.

One word is all he needed. And he wasn't surprised that Tess decided not to touch on the issue again. He knows she knew him too well that he had known where she was heading with it.

"How's Gracestone for you, then?" She changed the topic altogether.

"It's alright for me, so far." Alec fed himself with the spaghetti.

And then all three members of the former Hardy family turned to Ellie, waiting for her response, and she looked up after her struggle to keep Fred still to feed him, "Oh me?" Ellie put down her fork and pulled Fred's legs onto her lap, "It's brilliant. I think. Nice people. Bit like Broadchurch, I'd say. But slightly bigger with stronger winds. And castle ruins too."

Alec noticed the little scrunch she made with her nose as she spoke, and if he weren't sitting directly before Tess, he would have smiled, knowing that she spoke of the place with pure sincerity. Other than the fact that she's trying not to make the situation awkward with the ex-wife - he knows that as well. He set his cutleries down, holding his hands out to the little boy, "You have your meal first. I'll take care of the boy."

Ellie sat stunned. Didn't move a bit, holding on tighter to her son. Daisy, although surprised but slightly amused, continued eating, pretending that it didn't happen. Tess on the other hand, was dumbfounded with her mouth slightly wide open to surprise instead of being fed.

Alec sighed and removed the boy from her, "You have your meal first. I'll take care of him."

When Daisy was younger, he would always be told to take her away and carry her off to somewhere so that she could have the meal first. Initially, Alec wasn't aware of doing what he did with Ellie and Fred. But when he realised what he'd said and done, he decided to get on with it - without even considering of what the ladies at the table might think of him.

In their relationship, Alec had always been the one taking care of Daisy in her early years. He's the one to wake up in the middle of the night to give her fix. He's the one who wakes up at night to rock her in his arms when she cries of a nightmare. But she grew up being attached to her mum, sitting on her lap as Tess will fix her hair at the breakfast table, talking about the plans she had made for the day. Eventually, he drifted away from his beloved daughter and interactions between them reduced drastically. Tess might have had her in custody when they were finally separated but it didn't mean that he didn't care for Daisy altogether.

And now that Daisy is back in his life, he was at a lost on how to parent a teenage child at all. But by the time Fred is already in his arms, his chubby and cheerful face smiling back at Alec, the latter realised that maybe he hadn't lost his skills at child-minding. Or maybe it was just an old habit.

"Thanks," Ellie mumbled.

But Alec was already pacing about the dining room with Fred on his hip.

Ellie picked up her cutleries again, "So, how's your weekend?"

Alec turned, surprised to hear Ellie engaging Tess in a conversation. However, he knows Ellie being Ellie; she wouldn't shut up, anyway.

"It's kind of nice, actually. I went to get myself a few DVDs to rent and spent the whole day yesterday just rotting on the couch." His former wife responded politely.

"Hardy, why won't you just sit down?" Ellie called him out, "Fred just wants someone to attend to him. You don't actually have to walk about."

And he obeyed, getting back at his seat, adjusting Fred on his laps only to be surprised with Ellie poking at his spaghetti, and then holding the fork out to him, "What are you doing, Miller?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Well, I'm not letting your food go cold and that you'll starve yourself afterwards. If you're going to drive my son and I home, you better get your fix."

Alec's eyebrow furrowed. He noticed the little smile forming on Daisy's face as she bit at her fork. And Tess, too, for that matter.

"You barking at me are already enough. I don't want your stomach growling the whole two hour drive back as well," Ellie's hand started to lower itself, "Now do you want this or not?"

Fred is already slapping his hands in the air, trying to reach the spaghetti but Alec had his hand to his tiny torso, refraining him. Alec knew he couldn't get out of Ellie's insistence. Also, she was right - he indeed was starving. Quietly, he gave in and leaned forward. Ellie caught the indication and she raised her hand up as he opened her mouth for her to feed.

Alec noticed Daisy's face was going red and he knew it was from her trying to stifle her laughter. But he felt his own getting hot, his ears almost bursting as he felt blood flooding the veins in his head. He tried to cover it up and got them into another topic, "Might as well feed Fred too. I don't want him to grump about in my car while I drive."

"How's work?" Ellie ignored him, directing the question to Tess.

"It's okay, I guess. Though snatchers are on the rise, here." Tess happily answered the question. And the two slipped into an easy conversation, dragging Daisy in on her plans for the summer break. Alec would have wanted to listen to it all but he was too distracted with Fred who was trying to pry open his mouth with his single tiny hand until Ellie offered him some.

Daisy stood up, carrying her plate along with her, done with her dinner. But she came back soon after with a smaller bowl of spaghetti with another set of cutleries before settling it down beside her dad and removed Fred away from the laps of her father and onto her own.

"Thanks, darlin'." Alec managed as he chewed on his food, taking his cutleries back into his hands, shifting his gaze away from Ellie as quickly as possible, subtly moving his chair a bit further than hers.

He noticed her rolling her eyes at him before going back to her own meal.

And for the rest of the meal, everyone was silent.

Except maybe for Fred's baby talk.

* * *

Alec had his last moments of the week with his daughter in the living room as he took care of Fred. Ellie helped Tess with the dishes in the kitchen. Soon after that, they were back in the car and were on their return journey to Gracestone again.

Ellie was surprisingly quiet throughout and Alec didn't know what to make of it, glad or worried. But he didn't say a single thing. For once, they had a journey with no one talking.

And also because Fred was fast asleep.

With Leonard Cohen playing on the radio.

Alec tried to say goodnight when they reached but he already slammed his car door behind her with Fred asleep in her arms and stormed for her house.

He is seriously no good at figuring out what he did wrong.

* * *

Waking up the next day was such a trouble. Alec had to practically roll himself out of bed. He didn't sleep well that night - not as if that he had been. However, last night brought it up a notch. He had spent the night rolling, tossing and turning in bed infuriated, wondering what he did to deserve such a cold treatment.

He stood at the balcony as he did every morning as he put his suit jacket on but Ellie didn't even look up to greet him. She settled her sons in the car and just drove off.

Without even greetings to her neighbours.

Work was another issue.

She came in sprightly, greeting the bullpen. But as soon as she caught his gaze, she dismissed it entirely and went straight into her office.

His hands curled into a fist so hard it broke his pencil.

The bullpen must have noticed the tension between the two because he realised how no one came up to either of them to chat up.

Alec waited for her so that they could go lunch together. When she finally got out of her office, she walked right past him and headed for the stairwell. He followed her silently behind, panting halfway trying to catch up with her space. When she reached the carpark, he had had enough.

Alec took two long strides and the next moment he was in front of her, his hand gripping on to her wrist, preventing her from going any further, "Look, if I have done something wrong, say it right into my face."

He saw her face changed - from fury to a mocking laugh.

"You really don't know?"

He loosened his grip on her, realising how she was wriggling her wrist free, "I don't and I won't if you won't say anything."

But she walked out on him, heading for her car. He stormed up on her but Ellie ignored his presence altogether as she unlocked her car. Before she could even place her hand on the door, Alec already ran up in front of her and placed a hand to her shoulder, pushing her back gently, "Miller!"

Ellie stood still, crossed her arms and tilted her head up to look at him, "What?"

"What did I do?" Alec was angry - furious, in fact - but he dare not stoke the fury already burning in Ellie. And so, he approached unlike the person he thought he could ever be - gently. His hand had dropped from her shoulder to cupping her elbow and sighed, hanging his head before tilting it up a little to meet her gaze. He waited for her response in the silence of the carpark but he could hear his heart beating hard in his ears, knowing it was filled with anger, curiosity and disappointment all at once.

She replied flatly and softly, almost like a whisper while her cold eyes were still locked on his, "What do you think I am?"

"My -,"

"No. Don't answer that, you knob. That was rhetorical. I'm not done," She removed his hand, "You come walking into my life again, you make amends with me, we became friends. So called."

"We _are_ friends, Miller."

"SHUT UP." Her bark was more terrifying than he had ever thought it would be that it sent him a step back and had to lean on her car, "I SAID, I AM NOT DONE."

He hung his head.

"And then you bring me to meet your ex-wife. You used me to show off to her that you are better off now without her! Trying to show off with the 'oh Daisy prefers to spend her weekend with me now because she actually knows what you had done. Also, I am still capable of taking care of children. I am now going to pick Fred up and take care of him to show you I can.'" She flailed her hands about and poked his chest, "You want to get back on her for what she had done, you can. But you used me and you used Fred. I cannot deal with that. Do you know how low I felt?"

He observed her eyes. It wasn't tearing up, that's for sure and he was glad it wasn't and he hoped it will not, "I didn't know."

"BECAUSE YOU DIDNT CARE!" Her poke could have stabbed through his heart, if she went any harder, "You never did! You kept me by your side because you needed someone! I was just a company! You never cared!"

And when she was done, she folded her arms again, panting, her face red.

Alec had a list of explanations that he could have countered with but her accusation of him never caring about him had strangled him from being able to say anything more. He knew he had to apologise, of course, because he never considered what she might have felt but he did the opposite instead, "Then why did you decided to feed me in front of Tess?"

"Oh, shut up."

"No. Why?" He stood up straight, closed the distance between them and towered over her, "Why did you do that? To show off to her that you are better than her? That you care about me and she doesn't?"

She began poking at him again, "I did that because I cared for you! I know for one thing that you didn't want to stay for dinner at all but you did anyway. What was I supposed to do? Let you eat cold food just so that you can prove yourself to her?"

Poke.

"I don't have to show off that I care about you because I do!"

Poke.

"But what about you? So much for really caring for me. So much for being friends! Do you really care for me even, Hardy?"

With her last question, she shoved him back with both her hands. But he had had enough. Alec caught one of her wrists mid-air, gripping on it so tightly that he thought he could crush her bones.

Before he could say anything, a voice interrupted both of them, "What's going on?"

"Piss off," Both of them yelled back in unison without removing their angry gazes off each other.

"Everything alright, Ma'am?"

Alec turned and saw Petrie with a few others behind her and if they had had guns, he was pretty sure they would have pulled it out and pointed it at him and took Ellie away to settle the situation.

"I said piss off, Petrie." Ellie barked at them, "Everyone. GO."

One by one, they walked off slowly; looking back over their shoulders to make sure the situation was under control. Alec released his grip of her hand and towered over her again, "I am a lot of things, Miller. But I don't need to prove myself in front of my ex-wife. I know myself enough and I don't have to prove myself to anyone."

"Huh," she scoffed.

"I am ignorant, Miller. But that doesn't mean I don't care."

"Well, remind yourself again." Ellie crossed her arms.

"I CARE FOR YOU, ELLIE!" He declared it into her face, "I have always cared for you! I stood by you in Broadchurch because I don't want to see you alone! All those days I spent away from everyone, I thought of you! Of Tom! And Fred! I don't need to remind myself because I think about you almost every bloody day! And I worry every day, you know why? Because I fucking cared about you!"

With that, they stood again in the empty carpark in silence. Other than Alec's heavy breathing, the air was still.

No cars coming in.

No cars going out.

Nobody walking by.

Just the two of them - one with his eyes pleading her to believe him, the other with her eyes pleading not to break the dam that was rapidly building up.

When a single tear rolled down from her left eye and onto her already very red cheek, Ellie furiously wiped it away an crossed her arms again, "You bastard."

Alec cupped both of her elbows, "I didn't worry as much as I do now, knowing you're better off now that Beth and you are in good terms again. I never meant to find you again but I did. And I saw how you struggled alone. I am here now and I won't let you be alone. I know how it feels like."

This time round, her tears were out of control. They were just flowing freely and Alec was at a lost on what to do. He slowly and shakily brought her closer to himself and wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head underneath his chin. It was an uncomfortable position for him because Ellie's crossed arms were pushed against his abdomen but he let her be, letting her take her time to recover as he felt her move under him, her ear pressed against his chest, "Your heart is beating hard."

Alec brought up a hand and stroked her hair, "It does that sometimes."

She removed herself from his embrace and stared at his clothed chest before placing a hand against his chest, "Do you have an extra shirt?"

He looked down to understand what she was talking about. When he saw the stains of her foundation on his shirt, he caught on, "Ah, fuck."

But nobody seemed to say anything when they walked back into the bullpen with her hand in his.

Maybe they won't say anything about his shirt either.


	9. I Care For You

"Let's just carpool to work." Those words came out before he could even reconsider it. He had been leaning against her office's doorframe for the past three minutes with crossed arms as she hadn't looked up from the papers on her desk. Everybody had left, except for a Detective Seiner who was seated at his desk with his cup of coffee, finishing up his paperwork.

When he shifted his balance, he heard her drop her pen, "Whatever for?"

Alec shrugged his shoulders as she looked up at him, "I don't know. Cut costs for both you and me. We're neighbours, anyway. And colleagues too. Maybe I can learn a thing or two like where Fred's child-minders is. We can take turns-,"

"OH FUCK." Ellie frantically searched about her desk, her papers falling all over the place, before she pulled out her phone from under the stack of folders. She quickly dialled a number and put it to her ear, "Petrie. Hi. Sorry. Are you free right now? Can you please do me a favour? Yeah. Yup. Hardy's going to be there. Oh, for god's sake. He's just my neighbour. Yeah. Alright. Thanks, Petrie. I owe you."

He stood up straight, his hands on his hips, "I heard my name."

"Hardy," She sighed, a hand rubbing the bridge of her nose, the other on her hip, "I need your help."

Alec raised his head, "What?"

"Petrie's going to take Fred from the child-minders. Can you please help me take care of him this evening until I get home?"

He sighed, his hands dropping to his sides, "Tom?"

Ellie beamed, "Nice! Okay. Umm, Tom's got keys. But he's got football training. He'll probably be home by 6.30. Or later if he doesn't hang out." She took a look at her watch, "Which will be like, in an hour."

"Alright," Alec loosened his tie and turned away, "Just take care of yourself. Take your time with the paperwork. Dorset's not going anywhere anyway."

* * *

As he was about to turn the locks to his house door, Petrie walked past his gates with Fred on her hips, "Hardy. I was told you're looking after Fred?"

Alec dropped his hands to his sides and sighed, "Aye."

Petrie stared at him curiously, shrugging her shoulders, unclear of what she was supposed to do next.

"Let wee Fred down. Get me his bag. I'll take it over from here."

"Right." And before his feet could reach the ground, Fred was already running towards him and went straight to hug him. Petrie rushed off to get the boy's bag and Hardy was still staring down at the little boy who had his arms wrapped around his leg.

Fred was not that difficult to take care of. He gave the boy a shower, changed his clothes with whatever he found in his bag and even managed to feed him. When the boy was cleaned up, Alec went to shower himself as he let Fred play in his room.

While they waited for Tom, Alec brought Fred out to sit on his motorbike where the little boy pretended to ride. He didn't need to keep a look out for the teenager as the boy perched himself at his front gate with his bag hanging from a shoulder, "Mom's not back yet?"

"She's got work to do. Probably be late. We had a drug bust today." He replied flatly, not taking his eyes off the toddler in his hands.

"Alright then. I'll take Fred from 'ere-,"

"No," Hardy simply responded, more like an order really, "Go get yourself cleaned up. Lock the house and get back 'ere. I've made dinner. Haven't got some food in me either, lad. You can leave your bag here first if you have homework to settle later. Maybe you can bring Fred's high chair as well, so we don't have to look after him when we eat later."

The teenager kept rooted to his ground, astonished at the sudden flood of instructions given, trying to process one by one only to come up with a one-word answer, "Alright."

* * *

Sure enough, they managed to have their meal without interventions from the young toddler. As they slowly ate through his course of leek croquette and cheese and potato bake, Tom decided to break the ice, "You know, mum said you have a restaurant."

He rolled his eyes, "I have a _share_, Tom."

"Same thing. You still co-own it, technically."

Alec nodded his head in agreement.

"Did you come up with the menu?"

He raised a brow to the boy.

"You cook very well, that's all."

"It's my brother's. He's a cook. I helped him on occasions. Still, thanks lad."

And they went back to silence, which was considered appropriate enough for the both of them. It's not like he knows what to talk about with the boy. Fred was at the side smashing his car against the kitchen island and that was all the noise that was made.

"You seriously not getting a dining table?"

"I don't see a need to."

"Well, you don't need the bench swing."

"Point taken."

Alec waited for Tom to finish his meal, asking the boy to leave his dishes in the sink, saying he will wash it. The boy said, "Fine." And sat back again with Alec, crossing his arms and leaned over the kitchen island, glaring into Alec's eyes before he spoke, "You've made mum happy, do you know that?"

But of course, being dumbfounded Alec was, his jaw dropped, his mouth opened but no words came out. And then he heard his heart start beating hard in his ears and his face getting hot.

"You got here and two weeks in, mum had smiled more than she ever did in the past three months. And she spoke about you almost every single day it's so annoying. It's already annoying enough that she talks a lot."

Alec closed his mouth, opened it again but still his vocal chords couldn't seem to work. And he nodded his head in agreement with Tom's last statement.

"Aunt Lucy's been putting her on dates but I don't like the people she'd picked out. Neither did mum. But I like you. I think. And I'll say it right now that if you ever want to take mum out on a date, go ahead. I've seen you spent a lot of time together the past two weeks. I just want to see mum happy."

Alec was beyond baffled to have listened to Tom's outright forwardness. He didn't know to be humbled that the teenager liked him or the fact that his young neighbour had even extended his permission for Alec to date his mother. He's not complaining for sure – Ellie is a gorgeous lady – but he never thought of dating her whatsoever because he had been the one who arrested her former spouse in the first place.

"Aye." That was all he could mutter softly.

Tom rolled his eyes and Alec's faced grimaced, embarrassed at his sudden lack of expression – he's a man of not much expression anyway. The teenager stood up, "Right. Where can I do my homework?"

Alec got up on his feet as well, picking up his dish and headed for the sink, "I have an office upstairs at the back."

* * *

Close to an hour later, Ellie arrived, bursting through his front door and he could hear her yelling her apologies over and over as he stood in the kitchen washing the dishes.

"I am so sorry, Hardy. Tom's here, I suppose? My house is locked. The lights are out." She settled at the stool by the kitchen island, resting her head on it, "oh my god. I am bloody knackered."

He shook his head and dried his hands. Walking over to the microwave, he heated up the cheese potato bake before serving it to Ellie, her head went up so fast with surprise that he was afraid it could have snapped, "Oh, bloody hell."

"What? Don't like potato?" He asked from the fridge as he took out a box of apple juice and a glass along before settling himself beside her, pouring the drink after.

"You didn't have to. Oh my god, you made dinner for the boys?" But she dug into the food anyway, shoving it into her mouth, "This is so good. Oh, wait. Where is Fred? Tom?"

"Slow down, Miller," He pushed the glass closer to her, "Fred's asleep upstairs. Tom's in the office finishing up his schoolwork."

She continued to eat her food up in silence. He went around and excused himself, heading upstairs to check on the toddler just to make sure he didn't roll himself off the bed. Alec was glad he didn't. Then, he proceeded to check up on Tom, who had apparently finished his English worksheet and attempted half the Math problems which he noticed a note stuck to the corner of his paper, "Mrs Borg help Algebra tomorrow". However, the boy was already asleep on the couch in the office with his Math textbook on his chest.

"Aich. Math." He muttered to himself. He sat down anyway and started to write the steps to solving it on a fresh piece of paper. It took him less than twenty minutes to finish everything before he proceeded to get an extra blanket from his room, removed the book from Tom's chest and threw the blanket over him, closing the door behind him before heading for his own bedroom again.

Just as he was about to step into his man-cave, Ellie appeared from behind him and tapped his shoulder, "Where's Tom?"

Alec simply pointed across the hallway, "In that room, sleeping."

"I've got to wake him-,"

Before she could take hold of the office's door knob, Alec managed to reach his hand out and pulled her back by her shoulder, "No, no need. Stay the night."

He could have smacked himself when he said that but what's the point. Okay, maybe at the way he sounded a little desperate. It's not as if Ellie never spent a night at his place before. Hell, she wasn't even invited. She had spent the night trying to piece together the Sandbrook case and left the house messier than it was in the first place. Even Ellie herself was flabbergasted at his order – or was it a request? – to stay.

Alec fumbled to find his words but he managed to recover quickly, "They're asleep, Miller. Let them. And it's already so late."

"But-,"

"You can have my clothes for the night. I'll get it for you."

"Hardy-,"

"Shut up, Miller. It's not as if you never spent the night in my house before."

"I-,"

"How the bloody hell can you still talk so much at the end of the day, Miller? I can never understand that. Aren't you exhausted?"

Ellie sighed in defeat. Alec refrain the smile that was threatening to spread across his face.

"Fine."

"Good." He turned and headed for his bedroom again, pulling out a random t-shirt, a pair of sweatpants and a towel before handing it to her, "You can sleep in Daisy's room. Fred's there."

She nodded without saying much.

"I'll be in my room if you need me."

* * *

But he wasn't. He had wrapped himself with a blanket and sat himself on the bench swing at the rooftop. When Ellie approached him in his garments and barefooted, he was quite speechless. His t-shirt had fitted her perfectly which meant that he is skinnier than he thought he was. But the sweatpants were too long on her.

"You are such a plank." He heard her say.

"You're welcome." He wriggled himself aside to make space for her. She settled herself and leaned against him. Before she could bring up her legs, Alec pushed her up, removed the blanket from around him and he threw the blanket over both of them. Ellie adjusted herself and leaned against him again, bringing her legs up and covered her feet. Alec put an arm across the back of the bench and he started swinging it slowly.

The wind was cold that night and Alec had only planned to sit a while before going to bed but with Ellie's head on his chest, he didn't think it possible. He felt a hand on his chest, tracing over the bump where his scar is, "Thanks for tonight, Hardy."

"'Tis alright," He traced patterns on her shoulder, "You going to work tomorrow?"

She sighed, "I'm taking over night shift."

Alec rubbed her arm, "Fred's still going to the child-minders?"

"Nope. I'll take care of him."

"Will you be able to rest, though?"

"You don't have to worry about me, Hardy."

"I just don't want you to push yourself too much. Look where it got me," Tracing the bump of his scar like she was already doing, "I'll send Tom to school."

She looked up to him, her eyes wet.

"I swear, Miller. If you are going to cry I will swing you off this rooftop."

She hit his chest lightly, "Fuck off, you plank."

And she leaned her head against his chest again. Alec could feel her body move as she laughed and he managed one himself, "You planning to sleep like this tonight?"

Ellie wrapped an arm around his waist, "Can we? I miss having someone to hold when I sleep."

Alec felt his t-shirt getting wet. Instantly, he knew that she was crying. His heart started beating hard again, guilty of having been the one to have arrested her former husband. Alec always reminded himself of that every time he was with her and it was partly why he looked out for her so much more to have found her again – to make up for the damage that he had done. He knows that it wasn't his fault that she had to go through all of those shit but then again, he was technically part of the reason why everything in her world crumbled. Alec sighed, trying to catch a breath.

"You alright?" She had her palm flat on his chest again, "Your heart is beating hard again."

"'Tis fine, Miller." He strokes her hair, "Just go to sleep."

He managed a kiss into her hair before she indulged herself in the slumber.

* * *

When the morning comes, he was alone on the bench swing, wrapped in the blanket. He straightened himself only to feel a searing pain up his back and discover that he had developed a stiff neck overnight, "Bollocks."

Alec realised that it was still dark and he walked into the office, only to find it empty. He went back to his room, grabbing his phone, "7.13."

He got himself ready.

He was going down the stairs after being all washed up when he smelled eggs and tea. Alec pieced everything together when he saw Ellie – still in his garments – in his kitchen preparing scrambled eggs and pouring juice for her all-cleaned-up teenage son. She saw him enter the kitchen and greeted him, "I'm sorry. I hope you don't mind. I made breakfast."

Alec shook his head and settled himself one of the stools.

"I made some for you, too." Ellie served him his serving.

"Thanks," Was all he could muster, his accent thick with sleep as he poured himself the tea she had prepared.

"I'll clean up after you're done and I'll be out of here straight away." Ellie yawned through.

"Take your time," Alec mumbled as he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "I have a spare key behind the door. Just lock the house up, alright? Where's Fred?"

"Still asleep upstairs."

"You sending me to school?" Tom asked him out of the blue.

"Aye."

"You know where it is?"

"Aye."

"Alright," Tom stood up and placed his plate and glass in the sink. Then he gave his mum a peck on the cheek, "See ya, mum. I'll see you outside, Hardy. I still need to get some stuff from home."

Alec nodded in acknowledgement. Ellie sat on the stool where her boy did and rested an elbow under her chin on the kitchen island. Her eyes could barely open themselves.

"Go upstairs, Ellie. Get some rest. You're on night shift tonight."

"You only have to remind me," She grumbled and ran a hand through her hair, "This stiff neck is not going to help me tonight."

Alec shook his head, "Same."

"I am never going to consider bench swings for a place to sleep again."

"Same," he repeated.

He was done with his breakfast quick, picking it up to place it in the sink. When he was about to turn on the tap, he felt her hand on his shoulder, "I'll get that."

Alec quietly obliged. He went around her and without thinking; he raised his hands up and started massaging her shoulders and the back of her neck, "I'll get a dishwasher next time. Just go get some rest."

Apparently, she was too stubborn to listen to him. Not that it was anything new.

* * *

Soon enough, Alec was outside putting on his helmet, with his motorbike already revved up when Tom walked out of his house.

"We riding that?"

"Why?"

"Nothing," Tom received the helmet being handed to him, "Never ridden one before."

"There's a first time for everything, lad."

The boy climbed up behind, "Nice bike, by the way."

* * *

At the HQ, Anderson gave him the folders to another mini drug distribution happening at the other side of town. He distributed the work among the bullpen equally, briefed them on the details of the investigation and what was expected of them.

His day working without Ellie was not bad as he thought it would be. But Alec was so used to having her by his side he felt truly and genuinely empty. Emptier and lonelier than he'd been on the months he spent alone. But at least the bullpen invited him to go for lunch together although he was quiet most of the time.

The time passed quite slowly too without her, he realised. When it finally did, Alec packed up his stuff and got on his bike, heading straight home as quickly as possible.

* * *

After he parked his bike, Alec cleaned himself up and had a change of clothes. Then, he went straight for Ellie's place and knocked on her door only to be greeted by Tom with Fred in tow, "Where's your mum?"

"She's upstairs, getting ready." Tom stood aside and let his neighbour in, "Were you the one who gave me the notes for algebra last night?"

"Why?" Alec bent down to pick his tiny neighbour who was tugging at his shirt.

"Thanks, mum could never do that. She hates Math."

"What did you say about me?" Ellie's voice thundered, causing all three gentlemen to flinch as she walked down the stairs. None of them said anything. "Good. I've left some money if you want to buy dinner."

"Don't worry, Miller. I can handle this."

"Sure you can," She sounded like she was mocking him but her face deceived her, guilt was painted all over it. He knows that she realised that he noticed it, so he gave her an assuring nod and she managed to put on a smile again, kissing her sons goodbye and gave Alec a pat, "If you want to stay the night, go ahead. Take my room."

When she was gone out the door, Tom whispered, "I'm glad she didn't cry. She cries so much."

"Tell me about it. Would you like to buy dinner or do you want me to make some?"

"Make, please."

"Alright."

"Can you help me with Math as well?"

Alec sighed at the mention of the subject.

* * *

Alec could never imagine of ever having a family again but although it scared him so much when he had decided on looking out for Ellie and her boys, taking care of them came easily for him. Tom had helped him with preparing dinner and taking care of Fred. He helped the teenager with his homework. He sat side by side with him as the teenager played his X-Box with Fred building a tower with a set of building blocks.

Bedtime arrived and he settled himself on Ellie's bed with sleeping Fred in his arms. Part of him felt uncomfortable that he's sleeping in his partner's bed but another part of him felt at ease as he smelled in the scent of her in the pillows when he settled his head on it. For the first time since arriving in Gracestone, he fell asleep easily.

Somehow, in the middle of the night, Tom had managed to tuck himself beside Alec that it woke the latter up. Alec felt Fred still tucked in his arms and deep in slumber but he found Tom slowly snuggling up to him and sobbing, "What's wrong, lad?"

"I dreamt of Dad and Mum and us being a family," He managed in between the sniffs.

Alec choked up. He simply stroked the boy's hair and made hushing noises to comfort him.

"I miss Dad."

Alec became more strangulated with guilt at the statement.

"Was it easy?"

He struggled to find the words, "What was easy?"

"Catching dad? Do I still call him dad?"

Alec sighed, trying to put his train of thought together but he spilled it anyhow, "It wasn't easy, Tom. It's never easy to arrest someone. Especially when you care about the people who cared for that someone. Call him anything you want, lad. But just know that he had once loved you."

"What happened to him that caused him to be like that, Hardy?"

He continued to stroke the boy's hair again, "I have no idea, lad. Sometimes, when we fall out of love, people tend to do the craziest of things. We don't even seem to think about it. And sometimes when we are too in love, we become blind. Sometimes we don't see the things that are happening. But sometimes, both happen. In anyway, just know you'll never be alone. You learn along the way who are the people that cared about you and those who don't."

"Mum always said how you're alone. Have you found the people that cared for you, Hardy?"

A small smile formed on the man's face, "I have. I finally have."

"I think mum found hers too."


	10. I Always Will

The week passed very quickly. Alec, who had stayed overnight with her boys woke up earlier than he did and prepared breakfast while Tom got Fred ready. While they were having their morning meals, Alec helped with packing the stuff they need for Fred's child-minders, referring to the list that Tom had written down for him the night before. It hit him at how easy (and not to mention, domestic) he found everything seemed to be. He didn't even feel slightly bothered or impatient as he would be if it had been to socialize with other people.

Maybe it was due to the lack of sand.

Maybe it was due to the lack of strong coastal air.

But he still hates the bloody smiley faces of his colleagues. And neighbours.

And here he is packing Fred's diapers without even complaining.

"Hardy," Tom tapped his shoulder, "I've washed the dishes."

He looked into the boy's tears-swollen eyes, "You didn't have to, lad."

"I just did."

He sighed and stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You sure you want to go to school today? You're not looking top."

Tom was already being dragged by Fred out the door.

* * *

When Alec watched the way Tom carried himself looking out for his baby brother – the way he seats his brother quietly at the back of Alec's car, how easily he directed Alec the route to the child-minders, how he handed over Fred for them to take care – he realised how fast and vastly different the boy had grown up to be. He is the man of the house now (although Alec would argue that Ellie is the man of any household ever) and he was only entering his teens. A year had changed him so much from being the boy that his mother cried about at night to the young gentleman who looks out for his mum instead. But deep inside Alec knows that Tom was still the boy scarred by the murder of his friend, stabbed by the lies of his father, buried in the grievances of his mother.

Tom is quite a mystery; he doesn't talk as much as his mother does and like most teenagers (based on Alec's limited knowledge of them), he keeps pretty much to himself.

"You alright?" Alec asked when he sat back down in the car after sending Fred.

Tom shrugged, "Why are you always asking that?"

Alec revved up and got the car going, "I worry. That's all."

"I'm alright," He replied so softly Alec barely heard him.

"Yeah? Are the students nice?"

Tom stared at him. Alec thought with all the investigative work he had done, he is able to read people better now but he wasn't exactly clear on how he was to read Tom's face. It seemed vulnerable yet at the same time tough.

"If you're wondering if there are students picking on me because of dad, no."

Alec nodded his head, "Good to know that."

"They do know though," Tom hung his head, "But I'm just glad they didn't treat me any differently."

Alec reached out a hand for the boy's shoulder, "I hope they won't. Do you know how scary it is if your mum finds out? She'll crack the person's rib with one blow."

The Scotsman heard a soft laugh, "I know. I'm afraid of her too."

* * *

Alec didn't talk much at work nor did he manage to catch a glimpse of Ellie the whole time since he arrived. She had closed the doors to her office and her blinds were drawn. Only those who had to report to her went into her office. He had kept mostly to himself, communicating once in a while with the others to pass and ask them about the updates on their investigation on the mini drug operation happening at the other side of town. But when lunchtime arrived, he turned down the invitation to have lunch with the rest of the bullpen and instead, headed for Ellie's office, knocking on the door before hearing her asking to come in, "Hey."

"What?" Ellie didn't even look up from her computer.

"I packed some lunch just in case you're busy," Alec held up the container he had carried along with him, "it's the leftover from last night's dinner, if you don't mind."

She sighed and rubbed her temples, "I bloody hate night shifts."

He strode over, placing the container on her desk and he reached out a hand, "Come on."

She tilted her head, bemused.

"Just get up here." And she went round, taking his hand in hers. Alec pulled her over to the couch and settled her beside him. Ellie automatically laid on her side with her head on his lap. Trying his best not to move too suddenly, he removed his suit and threw it over her, "Take a nap. You can heat up the food later."

"Stop being so nice to me."

"Someone has to since you don't have time to be nice to yourself."

He left her alone most of the day so as to not stoke at her exhaustion and drive her to a more cranky mood. Daisy called in at some point to tell her father about her plans to stay over for the summer break which hits in after two Sundays and wouldn't be visiting him till then.

Alec was done with his work for the day early and although he could have gone off, he waited for Ellie at her car in the carpark.

"Why the hell are you still here?" He heard her yell from across the carpark.

Alec approached her, grabbing her gently at her arm and pulled her towards his car instead, "I'll drive you home."

"No. What?" She stopped in her tracks and pulled her hand away from him, "Excuse you, I am capable of doing that myself."

"Shut up, Miller. You haven't slept properly. Do you really think I'll let you drive Fred like that?"

She pursed her lips but followed him anyway.

* * *

They eventually took on Alec's proposal on carpooling. And so, they took turns driving to send the boys to school and for them to get to work.

Evenings from then on were easy for the both of them. Although there hadn't been the case of either of them sleeping over in the other's house again. When the both of them get home from work, sometimes Alec would help her with minding Fred. They took turns preparing dinner; Tom and Ellie would complain when he hosts dinners due to the lack of a dining table, "Alright, alright. I'll get one soon."

"Is Daisy coming in this week?" Tom asked.

"Nope. Not till summer break."

"Three more Mondays. You're missing her, huh?"

They spent the first weekend without Daisy by going shopping for a dining table for Alec. It was a long day because they ended up stopping at almost every toy shop they came across and also because Ellie was rejecting every of his choices. When they came to an agreement, it was due to the fact that Alec was too tired to go on with the shopping and he had to just agree with the one Ellie had chosen. Tom on the other hand, resigned to waiting out at a café. Alec was uncomfortable at being outside too long, because he had been receiving stares from other women and also because he just doesn't like to be where there are people.

Certain nights, Tom will go over to Alec's house to use the office space for him to finish up his homework and also getting help from the man other than trying to get peace time off from his baby brother trying to tear up every worksheet. Alec will allow him to sleep over but the boy would never want to sleep in Daisy's room and took up space in his couch instead. Alec had even came to the point where he lets Tom leave some of his books on the bookshelf so that he doesn't have to bring it back and forth.

But the man knew that it wasn't only that. Sometimes, he'll find Tom crawling up beside him in his bed, sobbing, and Alec would have to calm the boy down from his nightmare. At occasions, they will sit down together on his bench swing and say nothing. The two aren't really the best people at holding a conversation anyway but when they do, they have a sentence or two about the day they had.

"Do you really allow me to date your mum?"

"I do."

"Why?"

Tom shrugged. Alec understood him, however.

"Are you going to?"

Alec's turn to shrug.

And because Alec had no means of entertainment (Daisy had nagged at him to get cable television, though), Ellie often invited him over to watch telly with her. The second Sunday night, Ellie and Tom had wanted to Jurassic Park. Alec was seated down on an armchair with Fred on his laps and the boy had been trying climb all over him. Ellie was engrossed at the sight of Jeff Goldblum's character as she sat on the couch while Tom was on his belly on the floor, as fascinated at how the dinosaurs looked too real.

Alec on the other hand, was trying his best to prevent the tiny gentleman from trying to pry open his lips with his little fingers. He went on to hitting his grumpy friend's face instead, "Dee-dee."

"It's Hardy, lad," Alec let the boy stand on his lap, "_Har-dee._"

"Dee-dee," the boy struggled.

"Har… deee," Alec pressed on the syllables.

Fred hit his friend's face again, "Dar-dee."

Alec almost lost grip on the boy. Ellie and Tom turned their heads so quickly Alec was sure they could have snapped their necks if they hadn't be careful.

"Dar-dee." Fred laughed and launched himself for Alec's neck and hugged it.

He couldn't do much in the position he was in but he whispered something he never thought he would ever teach a child of Fred's age ever again, "Fred, say daddy."

The little boy removed himself from around Alec's neck and placed his tiny hands on each of his friend's slightly stubbled cheek, "Daddy Dar-dee?"

Alec saw Ellie and Tom both as astounded as he was at their respective places. Tom got up straight away and removed his baby brother from the man's lap, "That's enough, Fred. Say, goodnight."

Fred waved, "Night, daddy."

Alec stood up and towered over the two brothers, ruffling Fred's wild curls before placing a kiss on his crown, "Goodnight, Fred."

When he turned around after seeing Fred and Tom up the stairs, Ellie was behind him with her arms folded, her eyes red as it started tearing up, "What was that for?"

Alec hung his head.

"Why did you do that?"

He stuttered but he didn't have a reason to give in the first place anyway, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What? You're going to let my son call you daddy just for the sake of it? Then leave us again for another 3 months? You're lucky Fred could never remember having Joe for his father, Hardy!"

He closed the gap between them. On many occasions before, Alec would counter these situations by being angry himself for he wasn't really good at controlling his temper. But not around children. He may not be a model parent but he knows for sure that he would never let children witness an argument between adults, "Look, I said, I'm sorry."

"Oh, fuck off."

"I am not going to argue with you here with the children around us, Miller."

"Don't do this with me, Hardy. Don't be all polite and nice. Don't dance around my family like we are going to break when the wind blows."

"I didn't mean to, Miller."

Ellie stormed to the door, opening it, hinting at him to go, "Out."

And he did, dragging her out with him, closing the door behind them, "Miller. I didn't mean to do that."

"Stop, Hardy."

"No," Hardy cupped both her elbows, "Listen to me. I just want to give the boys a chance to have someone else that they could rely on. After what I've done, after I took their father in, do you really think I would leave it that way? I want to make it right to them, Miller."

The tears start to fall again, "But you can't make a promise you can't keep!"

He sighed, taking her hand and placed it over his chest, letting her feel the bump of his scar, "Can you feel that?"

Ellie didn't say anything. Instead, her hand relaxed and started to trace the scar, drawing patterns around it.

"Why the bloody hell did you think I get this? I could have let the trial just bloody destroy me. I could have let the town continue hating me. I would rather die than having to deal with the bloody slanders because I know that no one would care anyway." Alec gave her hand a squeeze, "But you proved yourself to me over and over. You stayed where I won't. You moved on from where I stayed. You care for me when I can't."

Slowly, she buried her face into his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist. He stiffened at first; her sudden actions had messed up his train of thought. Alec managed to compose himself quickly enough and responded, wrapping his arms around her, "I got this because I needed to be around you long enough until you are in good terms with Beth again, with the town. I don't want to leave you halfway out. I needed to stay so that you could have someone looking over you."

Alec felt her grip his t-shirt into her fist, "But you left us anyway."

He removed her from himself gently, cupping her face in his hands, placing a soft kiss close to the corner of her mouth before pulling her to him again, holding her slightly tighter this time, "I am here now."

Alec rubbed her back slowly, tucking her head underneath his chin, "I'm staying. That scar is my promise."


	11. All Over Again

Daisy had gotten herself a train down to Gracestone but instead of her father, she was greeted by Ellie and Fred instead, "Where's dad?"

"He's at home, napping. Working night shift tonight."

"He didn't tell me anything."

"I'm sorry to break it to you, Daisy. But your father is quite problematic at sharing with others about his whereabouts and well-being," Fred had wriggled himself free from his mother's arms and launched himself to hug Daisy's legs, "That being said, actually he was supposed to fetch you but I had tried waking him up. Didn't work. So, here I am."

Daisy ruffled Fred's curly hair, "Better that way."

* * *

Alec jolted up to Daisy by his bedroom door, knocking at it with a ladle she got from the kitchen as she yelled, "MR ALEC HARDY! TIME TO WAKE UP! YOU FORGOT TO FETCH YOUR DAUGHTER FROM THE TRAIN STATION!"

But he buried himself back under the blankets, "Shut up, Daisy."

His daughter ran and jumped on his bed instead. After two bounces, she let herself fall and laid down beside him, gasping for air, "So... Dad, anything you want to share with me?"

"Let me sleep, Daise," he grumbled from under the layer of sheet.

"Why does Miller have keys to your house?" She kept on teasing, poking on the sheet, trying to find her father.

"I have night shift today, darlin'."

"What? You have night shift, she keep your keys?"

He growled and pulled a pillow over his head, "How did you get here?"

Daisy sighed and rolled out of bed, "Miller fetched me. You told her which train I was taking?"

He grumbled in confirmation, "I asked her to come along. But then I couldn't wake up. Good thing she took initiative. I hope she won't be nagging at me later."

Daisy grabbed a pillow and hit her father, "That's for leaving me to wait by myself at the station."

* * *

He woke up two hours later and as Alec walked down the stairs while knotting his tie, he shouted for his daughter. And she yelled back in response from the kitchen.

Alec walked into the living room to see Fred asleep in the couch. When he reached the kitchen, Ellie was washing up the dishes and Daisy gobbling on her sandwich.

"Ellie packed for you some, if you're wondering where's yours," Daisy mumbled with a mouthful from the dining table.

Alec walked himself across the kitchen to the countertops, glaring at his daughter with wide eyes - which is his way of telling her not to talk with a mouthful. But of course, she didn't mind her father's silent scolding even her bit. Still, Daisy whispered a soft apology to her father. As Alec waited for the kettle to boil, a container of sandwich was slid from the other end of the countertop to in front of him, "Trust me. That will be very helpful when you get hungry at night."

"I have done night shifts before, Miller."

"You know, a little gratitude will do me good." Ellie walked away and sat beside the teenage girl at the the table.

Daisy shook her head as she took another bite off her meal, "He's not really good at that."

Ellie nodded her head in agreement and mouthed an "I know."

Alec just sighed, missing his solitary days where he doesn't have to deal with people who are constantly around him.

* * *

His daughter has somehow managed to convince him into bringing her to work,"It's not like I never did before."

"I'm not DI anymore, Daise. I don't have an office of my own. Where are you going to sit yourself?" He argued.

Ellie just had to support his daughter, "But I am. She can sleep in my office if she wants."

Alec only agreed in the end because he was outnumbered and still very cranky from sleep. He made it a condition that Daisy could only follow if she didn't mind riding the bike, supporting his argument that it is the only way to prevent her from falling asleep to motion sickness.

Security clearance wasn't much of an issue for her but Alec knows that she wasn't really fond of his colleagues' friendliness. She gets along with them, yes. But he can see her faint struggles to be polite and sociable. Alec had always known that Daisy only keeps a small circle of people who she talks to and two to three close friends and probably a rock. She keeps mostly to herself but she opens up to those close to her. Her small social circle gave her strong relationships and that's why when Alec took the blame for Tess' mess, he knew that he wouldn't be able to get back at her to the relationship they had before.

Alec may have lost two over years he could have had with her but she came back into his life as if nothing really happened. He was more than just glad - he was grateful that Daisy made it seem as if their relationship didn't change. He knows however that it did because he feels it too as he is trying to learn on how to communicate with her properly again. He thought he had lost her for good and had came to the point that he didn't mean to make amends with her anymore. He gave up, to say the least because he realised then that she had given up on him.

But the tables have turned and now not only Daisy is back in his life, Ellie is there as well. Alec wouldn't say it out loud but it scares him to suddenly have one of the most important people in his life to be back only for him to realise that he found someone who is as important as well. And the thing that scares him more is the idea of having to keep them there - he's too afraid of being lonely again.

But for now, he let his relationships where it is as he tries to figure things out and wonder how it is all happening so fast.

For now, he let Daisy's chattering in the background keep him awake through the night.

Moments later, his daughter joined him in the pantry, where he was preparing tea, with the container of sandwiches she had prepared for him and headed straight for the microwave oven, "Oh my goodness. These people are so friendly."

Alec kept silent in agreement.

"I am surprised you managed to hang on this far," she continued as she tossed the sandwiches into the oven.

"Three months that I spent alone made me realise that I actually like being around people." He replied dryly as he sipped his tea.

"What bloody nonsense."

Alec shrugged his shoulders.

The microwave went ding and Daisy took the sandwiches out, placing it in front of her father, "Have some. You are not exactly tolerable when you're hungry."

The night dragged on and Alec decided to get on with a little reading of the old cases in Gracestone. Petrie and Seiner was out on patrol while another Detective Bill - or was it Dalton? He's still not quite sure which is which. - had been reciprocating between the pantry and the bullpen all night. As he was reading about a child being kidnapped by his desperate father, his phone went off and he picked it up, "Miller."

"How are you holding up?" The voice on the other line was as loud and chirpy as always that he had to pull his phone away from his ear.

"At two in the morning, I think I'm alright," He took off his reading glasses and rubbed an eye, "Why the hell are you still up at this time?"

He can hear the rustling of her bed sheets, "Can't sleep."

"Count sheep. Goodnight, Miller."

"OI," Alec could feel his eardrum nearly exploding, "Don't be rude."

The man kept silent and rubbed a hand up his cheeks, feeling the stubble he had been keeping the past few days.

"It's not as if you have things to do, anyway. Do you?"

He opened up the folder in front of him, "I'm reading up some old case."

"How's Daisy?"

"She's asleep in your office," Alec wasn't quite sure about that. He just made it up. But just so that he could prove himself right, he stood up and left the archive room and headed for her office.

"She's alright?"

"She's holding up better than I do."

"How are you?" Her voice was gentle. And he hadn't heard a single gentle tone in so long that he could feel his heart did a funny thing that he had to stop at her office door, holding onto the knob, barely having the energy to turn it.

"I'm fine," He managed to find his balance and went through, surprised to find Daisy laid out on the couch, the light from her phone shining dimly on her face in the dark room. The girl averted her focus to her father and sat straight up. He pulled the door behind to get out of the room as quickly as possible but then she mouthed a fierce "STAY" as she patted the sitting space beside her and he widened his eyes in protest. Daisy proceeded to cross her arms and look vexed - which seem to always work on him.

"Miller, could you probably call me later? I got something going on." He tried not to stutter.

"You alright?"

"Aye," Alec swallowed his saliva, "It's nothing much really."

"Alright, then. Take care of it. And take care you."

"Yeah," He sat down beside Daisy unwillingly, facing away from her, "Sleep well, Miller. I will see you tomorrow."

"Hardy?" She managed before he ended the call.

"Yeah, Miller?"

"Goodnight."

Alec tried his best to hide his smile away from his daughter, "Goodnight, Miller."

When he finally tucked his phone away into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, Daisy was grinning away as she stood up to turn on the lights of the office, "Wow. Late night calls with Miller. Is there something you're not telling me?"

He growled and stretched out his legs, leaning his head to the back of the couch, "She can't sleep. That's all."

"It's not as if I don't know what's going on between the two of you." She mumbled as she went to slump herself back down on the couch beside her father, "Tom told me things, you know."

He didn't even flinch. It wasn't surprising to him that she had exchanged numbers with Tom or the fact that the latter had been updating his daughter about their parents' relationship. But he couldn't deny that he was curios, "What did he tell you?"

She sighed, pulling her jacket tighter around herself, "That you've been taking turns making dinner and driving to work. That you've been helping him with Math."

"Hmm."

"And that you taught Fred how to say 'Daddy.'"

His took a sharp breath in, "I didn't mean to."

"Dad," Daisy held his hand, "I've lost a lot of time I could have had with you. But you know what it had told me about you?"

He kept silent.

"That you punish yourself for whatever you've done that may have hurt the people you care about although it is not your fault," The teenager continued as she laid her head on her father's lap and brought her legs out on the couch.

Alec couldn't disagree much to what his daughter had said but he has justifications of his own he could try to reason with. Instead, he stroked her hair and let her resume so that he could listen to how his daughter sees him, "You took the blame for mum because you thought you hadn't been a husband good enough for her that she went off with Dave."

"How did you know it was Dave?"

"He moved in two months after you're gone. Just fit the pieces together after what Olly told me. I'm a copper's child, anyway."

"Fair enough."

"I know you're trying to get back at the Millers for what you've taken away from them. But the truth is that, Joe fucked it up. You were just doing your job. Do you have any idea how pissed I am at you right now?"

He could have nagged at her about her cuss usage, but he let it go. Alec understood that she was angry and was trying not to let her temper show.

He stopped stroking her hair as his daughter tilted her head up to look at him in the eye, "I thought I was pissed that you cheated on mum when it's the other way around. But when I found out, I was more furious that you were on the verge of dying and not even close to being guilty."

"You needed your mum, Daise. And she needs you."

"And what? You don't need anyone?"

Alec removed himself from the couch gently and stood up, taking out his phone and transferring it into his pants' pocket and took off his suit jacket before folding it and let it cushion his daughter's head.

"Seiner and Petrie told me how you and Miller had been spending a lot of time together. Held hands even. She looking out for you?"

He didn't respond.

"Dad, I saw how you kissed her goodbye just now."

"It was just on the forehead, Daisy. That's what friends do."

"I don't want to hear that. I just want to know, is she looking out for you?"

He knelt down by her side, "Aye."

"Good."

"Sleep tight, Daise." He kissed her temple.

"Dad," she managed to grab hold of his wrist, "I know I wasn't as close to you. And I know with what happened it changed so many things between us. But I never loved you any lesser than I did."

He felt his eyes getting wet, "Goodnight, darlin'."

She sighed and rolled over on her side away from him, "Goodnight, dad."

* * *

Alec was afraid that there wasn't much that his daughter could do in Gracestone but he was glad that she had taken the liberty to take a stroll around town with Tom and Fred as her guides. She even took on the big sister role for them very well that Ellie didn't have to worry about sending Fred to the child-minders and that both Alec and Ellie could sleep in for another half an hour. With the only two of that has to go out for work, Alec initiated that they should just ride his bike - which, surprisingly for him, Ellie agreed to straight away.

"I've never ridden on a bike before."

"There's a first time for everything."

Alec liked the feeling of her grabbing onto him so tightly as he accelerated, her fear being entertainment to him. That aside, he didn't quite like how she's wearing the horrendous orange jacket. But its comeback is really something that lets him be at peace - because that way it reminds him of her presence.

His forehead kisses for her had been more recurring and when she's all stressed up after a long day, they'll talk it out on his bench swing at night. All that not around their children, of course. When all five of them headed out for grocery shopping that weekend, they went about to a motorbike store as well, Alec planning to get a child-sized helmet for Fred, "You have no idea how much he cries begging me to get him on it."

Ellie pestered him on getting himself a new leather jacket, telling him how his current looks a little worn out although it's nice, "I like that one. The slightly orangey-brown one."

"Orange doesn't suit me, Miller."

"I didn't say it suited you. I'm just saying it's nice."

"What's with you and orange jackets?"

And they bickered on as the children walked on to get back on their initial plan which was getting Fred a suitable safety head gear.

* * *

That night, Tom wanted to sleepover at his place, bringing his X-Box and setting it up to the telly in Alec's living room, putting in FIFA for both him and Daisy to play. But as he sat in between the two teenagers, Tom suddenly blurted a question at him, "You really don't know, huh?"

"I've been out of a school for long time. So, there are probably a lot of things I don't know." He responded flatly, his accent more prominent than ever. Daisy didn't seem to be bothered.

"Next Saturday."

"June 19. I know that date. I read her file once."

"What's on?" Daisy pause the game and got herself engage in the conversation.

"Miller, it's going to be her birthday soon." Alec sighed.

"Have we got plans?"

Both the men shrugged.

They didn't exactly plan how they were going to celebrate it. Reason being, Alec is never one who likes celebrating anything at all. Another is because Tom has absolutely no clue on how to make his mother happy (like we all do). Daisy, on the other hand is the only one with an idea. Just one idea, that's it. But the men agreed that it's better than nothing.

That whole week, Alec and Ellie rode to work as usual and their routine is pretty much the same. They got to work, had lunch with the rest, went back home for dinner and on one day they went out to have dinner at the Italian restaurant. Lucky for both of them, they hadn't had any night shifts.

Saturday came along and they spent the whole day just hanging out in Ellie's living room watching Disney movies. Tom and Daisy were sprawled out on the floor, Alec and Ellie shared the couch with the latter snuggling up to skinny man, her arm around his waist, his around her back, drawing patterns on her shoulder. Fred had been taking turns snuggling in between the adults and handing trucks over to the teenagers to invite them into playing with him. They had called in for pizza for lunch and that was all they had for a meal for the day.

Well, at least until dinner. Hardy had prepared their evening meal with the help of both teenagers whereas Ellie had to entertain and clean Fred up before they meet up again at Alec's place. It was a small and intimate celebration. They had a small cake, as both Alec and Daisy weren't so much into the sweet stuff. When the wishes were made, the candle was blown and the cake was cut and consumed – although mostly were just being painted by Fred onto his own face. Alec and his daughter had a little piece for each of themselves although they weren't quite fond of it. Ellie and Tom had no issues finishing it. And while they were at it, Tom started with the gift exchange. He sat on his mother's lap, with a box in hand, "It's nothing much really."

"Whatever it is, love, today was already enough for me." She kissed his son's forehead. Tearing open the wrapping paper and opening up the box, she held up the content, "A photo frame?"

"I know that," His voice started to crack and his eyes started to get red, "you cut dad out of every picture that we had. I knew you threw all your pictures with dad away. I just thought- I hope now that we're starting all over again, you can frame new ones. I know you won't be able to forget what happened because I can't. But if you found someone, or even if it's just us – you, me and Fred – I want you to hold onto that if it makes you happy. Even if it is a picture, I want that something to remind you of the things or people that makes you happy. I have seen you cried enough. I don't want to see it anymore."

Obviously, that didn't work. His speech just made his mother tear up at a rapid rate that she couldn't say a thing but to pull him into a tight hug. Daisy wiped a tear but Alec still managed to keep himself composed. Tom got off his mother's lap and Daisy pushed an envelope across the table, "I'm sorry. I really have no idea it's going to be your birthday."

Ellie laughed, grabbing a tissue from the box near her and the reaching out for the envelope at the same time. When she took the content out, she laughed a little louder, "A spa voucher?"

"Oh, come on. Take some time off. It's going to be nice."

"Well, I've never been to one. I suppose it'll be nice," She placed the voucher back into the envelope. As Ellie pushed it aside, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, "What have you got for me then, Hardy?"

He grumbled, grabbing the package from under his chair. As he walked over to her with the package in hand, he apologized, "I'm not entirely sure on what people like and don't like."

Ellie took it in her hand as he knelt down by her side, waiting for her to tear it open. He looked away from her as she did so, scratching the back of his head. When she held it up, the leather jacket that she had pointed out to him the other day, "Well. At least you took the hint I threw at you. Good job, Hardy."

"Yeah?" He looked up to her, glad of her approval.

"If I needed to look more like a DI, I'd say the orange windbreaker I have is not going to make it work. Still, this wouldn't get me away from wearing that jacket though. I love that shit."

"Thought so," He managed a smile. Alec leaned in and responded to her hint for a hug, kissing her cheek and whispered into her ears, "You're a year older now, Miller."

"Oi, don't be rude." She slapped his back. Both of them pulled back and Ellie's voice blared, "Alright, then. Thanks, all of you, for being sweet. To you too, also Hardy. This is so rare of you, to be nice. Thomas, you take my stuff back home and get yourself cleaned up. Then, you can do whatever you want. Daisy, I don't know what your father has to say but Thomas, you go. I'll stay behind and clean up all this mess with Hardy, alright?"

Alec stopped her right there, "No, no. You go home get rested. I'll get Daisy to help me out."

"Oh, shut up. I'm in a good mood right now. I'll help you out. You've done quite a lot for me since you've been around, anyway." Ellie held his hand on her lap, the children oblivious to the action.

Alec gave her hand a squeeze, "Alright, then. Daise, you go get cleaned up. If you want to join Tom on the X-Box, go ahead, alright? Just let me know where you're sleeping tonight, aye?"

Daisy nodded.

The dishes were a trouble as they have to scrape away the cheese from the baked pasta Alec had made for them. Also, the cream of the cake made the plates a little oily and that was another burden for Alec to wash it clean. When they were finally done, Ellie climbed and sat herself on the counter top and swung her legs, "I had a nice day, today."

Alec grabbed a towel and started wiping his hand, "We didn't do much today."

"Still," She fiddled with her fingers, "it was nice. I have Tom and Fred. And Daisy. And you."

The man shrugged.

"I am very happy today, Hardy."

Alec walked closer and stopped in front of her, "It's time for you to be."

"Thank you." She murmured softly, looking at her hands on her laps.

And the two remained in that position. Alec placed the towel aside. He had to do it now. It's now or never. His heart was beating fast and he felt like bending keeling over and clutching it, clearly uncomfortable and his vision starting to spin as he could feel the blood rushing to his head.

"Hardy," Feeling her hand on his shoulder obviously made it worse but he stood tall, "Jesus, are you alright?"

Alec tried to blink away the dizziness, "I uh- I was thinking..."

She looked up and gazed right into his eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"I talked to Tom. And I just- I just want you to know that I care for you very much. And I like having you with me."

"Get on it, Hardy."

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

That apparently got out a little too quickly for her to catch. But she processed it straight away, "Bloody hell. Are you serious?"

He growled and walked away, "It's alright. I understand-,"

But she gripped his wrist before he was out of her reach, "Yes. Bloody hell, yes. Yes. I was wondering when you'd ask that. Lucy had been putting me on with terrible dates, I swear."

"Well, uh," Alec never thought he was going to stutter again, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow? That's quick."

Alec shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He thought so too but it wasn't really his idea. To be truthful, he wasn't really feeling well then. Alec was still in shock himself from asking her out. His heart was beating so fast and he could hear it beating it in his earsand he would really appreciate it if she could turn him down and ask for another day. Part of him wanted to curse at Daisy who had pushed him into doing so but the other part of him was grateful she did. If it weren't because of her insistence, he'll never had the courage anyway.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." Alec never looked up so quickly before upon hearing her answer. He opened his mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say and before could process anything, Ellie already pulled him to her by his collar and pressed her lips against his. It was awkward at first, both of them were like joined together stuck at the mouth but he was quick to catch on and raised a hand up to cup her cheek, bringing himself closer and in between her legs, his other hand to her hip deepening the kiss.

He didn't know what to make of it. Was it sweet? Was it desperate? But he knows that both of them had wanted this as he felt one of her hand got up to the back of his neck and she ran her fingers through his hair. It was unbelievable, the whole situation. If a month before they could barely see eye to eye, not even a hug to be exchanged between the two of them. Now here they are in his kitchen snogging away; Ellie on his countertop with her legs wrapped around him to bring him closer to her, his hands up her back not wanting to let go. When they pulled apart gasping, Alec smiled, "Was that the reason why you wanted to help me out so bad with the dishes?"


	12. It Was Nice

Needless to say, Alec was still in shock after the kiss in his kitchen. It's not that bad of a shock considering he have had heart attacks and the pacemaker gives him that annoying tingle when his heart gets worked up. Since Ellie had left two hours before, he sat himself on the couch. It's going to be another night that he wouldn't be able to go to sleep - that is because he was planning for their date. Still, generally it was because of the kiss on his countertop. Hell, she could have picked a better spot.

Daisy walked into the house only to find him in the dark living room staring at telly which wasn't even on. Locking the door behind her and headed straight for the stairs, she made a detour and stood in front of her dad, wondering why he didn't acknowledge her return, "I take it you asked her."

"Aye."

"And that she said yes."

Alec glared at her, wondering how she got the answer right.

"She was in an extra good mood tonight," Daisy lowered herself and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek, "That and also because she kissed me goodnight. I'm going to bed now, dad."

"Goodnight, darlin'."

He heard her voice in the distance as she began to walk away and up the stairs, "Night."

Alec went back to staring at the blank TV screen and started planning for the date, sighing exasperatedly.

* * *

First thing he did in the morning was stopping Tom as he walked outside to take out the trash, stuttering and mumbling his way through, trying to tell the boy that he has asked his mum out, "I know, Hardy. Daisy already told me."

"You alright with that?"

The boy shrugged, "I said you're good, didn't I?"

Alec scrunched up his face.

"I like you, Hardy. I trust you. But it's up to mum. I can only look out for her. She decides what's best for herself."

He didn't know what to expect, but when he saw Ellie step out of the house in a three layer combo of t-shirt, shirt and the leather jacket he bought for her, Alec almost slid off his motorbike that he had been leaning on. Hell, he'd seen her in suits, a night robe and even his garments. But it was the finishing looks of her black tapered jeans and hiking boots that had really knocked the wind out of him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead by now with the smile she approached him with. He couldn't really make it out if she looked really rugged and beautiful at the same time that he could die of a cardiac arrest or that she looked like she could snap a person's neck with only two fingers if you happen to be in her way. And knowing Ellie, the latter wouldn't be that impossible. Maybe that was why he was so blown away.

A lifetime ago - the life when he was dying and she was still married - dating her wouldn't even be at the top of his list. Hell, it never was anyway until Tom mentioned it and Daisy pushed him. It's not that he didn't find her attractive. He just never realised it until they went separate ways. Now here she is approaching him with such a refreshing look, all her independent-mum vibes gone causing him to struggle with finding his ability to stand and the helmet he held in hand almost slipped off his grip.

"_Jesus_," She ran up to him, helping him to get back on his feet, "Are you alright?"

He nodded over and over, waving a hand at her to seal assurance.

"Bloody hell, we haven't even started and you already lost balance. I'm trusting you with my life riding this bike, for goodness sake!"

Alec rolled his eyes, shoving a helmet at her to shut her up.

"Knob."

Through his peripheral vision, he saw his daughter laughing at him as she stood on the balcony of his house. In another corner, he saw Tom hung his head before he shook it and proceeded to tow along Fred as he walked back into the house.

* * *

It was typical, their date. Alec had brought them back to the coffeehouse where they first met and settled at the table where they had their not so conventional lunch reunion at. Apparently, Daniel was working that day and he approached them rather carefully. Alec noticed this and if he weren't in public, he would have laughed knowing that the teenager was probably still traumatised having witnessed their rather heated reunion banter.

"Anything for both of you?" Daniel greeted.

"Earl Grey and a glass of warm water for me, thanks." Alec replied.

"Ms Knight?"

"An orange juice, please. We'll get the food later."

When Daniel walked off, Alec was fidgeting in his seat and Ellie went straight into a conversation, "What now?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Alec shrugged.

"Not even five minutes in you are already the worst date I ever had."

He shrugged again, "Aren't dates where you are supposed to go to some place special, you hang out and you talk – about yourselves; your likes and dislikes."

"Are you quoting Enchanted?"

He shrugged again, recalling it to be one of the movies they watched the day before, "I like Disney movies."

"Well, there you go."

They talked on a little more, sharing their favourite Disney movies. Alec was uncomfortable about admitting his preferences but he was glad that Ellie didn't even seem a bit shocked at the fact that he goes for sappy chick flicks and rom-coms. He, however, found out that she cried watching Finding Nemo.

When Daniel arrived with their drinks, they ceased their conversation and ordered their meals; she settled for fish and chips, Alec went for the Caesar salad — again.

Her next question started off another topic in whole, "Have you ever thought about it?"

"About what?" He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to adjust to the hot drink that burned his lips as he sipped on it.

"Returning to Broadchurch. Or Sandbrook, even," Ellie clarified herself, "Have you ever thought about returning there?"

Alec placed his cup down, pushing it aside before folding his arms, leaned forward and perched it on the table. He took a deep breath in, trying to pull his train of thought together, but he didn't really know how to answer it, "Sometimes."

She mirrored him and maintained her silence, waiting for him to continue.

"I did thought of returning to Broadchurch. But not Sandbrook. Even if it was for Daisy, never Sandbrook. I had nothing left there. Not even Daisy then."

He expected her to let go of the topic, thinking that he had answered her question. But she surprised him with another one, "Then why didn't you?"

Alec tilted his head, "Didn't I what?"

"Return to Broadchurch?"

He sighed, pulling the cup back to him, "I didn't belong there. There was nothing left for me there I either."

"Then why did you think of returning there in the first place?"

Alec's heart almost got worked up at this point but he was saved when Daniel arrived with their meals. He invited her to take a bite of the meal first, thinking that she will drop the topic. Ellie was silent at first and he thought that she knew that their conversation was making him uncomfortable but as he was about to take his third bite, she went at it again, "You haven't answered my question yet."

"Realized it after I considered it."

"But you thought there was something there for you before that. What was it?"

"Are you trying to sharpen your detective skills on me?"

Ellie shrugged her shoulders, poked into her fish and took a bite, "You don't talk much. I know you don't keep a diary. You don't have friends. Do you have a heart to heart talk with yourself, Hardy?"

Alec remained shut.

"Didn't think so."

"We can talk about it if you want. But not here. Let's just finish up our meal."

He hates talking like that, as if everyone is under his orders. But throughout his years of being a copper and being a DI, he couldn't seem to get rid of it. Alec knows that it makes people feel uncomfortable and small but he couldn't really help himself. His social skills were really not the finest.

"Fine," Ellie changed the topic in a whole, "How are you feeling today, Hardy? How is your heart feeling?"

Alec rolled his eyes but answered her anyway, although a bit bitterly, as he continued to consume his salad, "A bit nervous. Don't really want to be outside. I just want to stay at home and lie down. My heart's doing fine."

"Alec Hardy feels nervous being outside, huh? Is that really why your social skills aren't tops?"

He was just glad that they didn't continue to banter on and had moved on to talking about their schooldays. Alec found that her stories were so much more interesting than his – she talked about hanging out with her classmates and friends. She discovered that he wasn't any less of a hermit than he is.

Alec suggested that he just leave the bike where it was in front of the coffee house and they walked side by side, making a stop at the ice-cream shop to get one for each of them. Going down the street as they licked on their ice-cream, Ellie laughed.

"What?"

"Bloody hell. We even have matching outfits. Leather jackets and all."

They talked about their ideal weather, the dates they both had gone too and their first kiss. Alec thought it was a risky topic to get on, afraid of Ellie being reminded of Joe, of Danny, of whatever happened in Broadchurch. But she never got to it. She went straight on to complaining of how one knob got her a cut lip when he accidentally bit it too hard when they were kissing. Most of it was just her talking and Alec didn't mind a bit. He doesn't have much to talk about in the first place, probably just to share about how he asked Tess out and almost fainted because he was too nervous. Again, he realised that she didn't find it at all, "So, really. You're just a shy person? That explains your lack of friends and social skills. Is that why you're bitter most of the time as well?"

He got them both back on the bike and rode to a castle ruin that was on a cliff. It had a gorgeous view; they could see the sea in the distance, grass plains surrounding the ruins and most important of all, the lack of any other human being. She led him into the castle, travelling all the way up a tower. Both looked about in random directions, taking in the view into memory. The coastal wind was stronger there too that they decided to sit against a wall to escape the breeze.

For a few moments, they sat in silence, but when Alec felt Ellie slowly leaning into him, he wrapped an arm around and brought her closer so that she leans on his shoulder.

"How are you, Hardy?"

"I'm good, thanks." That's going to be their conversation starter for quite a while, he thought, "You?"

She snuggled in further and wrapped an arm around his waist, burying her nose at the nape of his neck, "I miss having someone to talk to."

Alec wondered if Joe had always been the listening ear at home. Ellie talks a lot and someone like her, Alec knows that she will have someone to let her feelings out to. He wondered if Ellie would snuggle up to Joe to after a long day to comfort herself, he listening to her rants patiently, both hanging onto each other. If it was true, that will explain the cuddly times they had for the past week. It's not that he's complaining, it's comforting for him too. To him, it just means that Ellie had put a lot of trust in Joe, had loved him very much, had hung onto him with every bit that she had. That will explain why she was so broken. Ellie wears her heart on her sleeve most of the time – even when she fakes a smile – it's so bloody obvious she's hurting. She hides her emotions behind a clear glass – you can see right through her. But that clear glass was also her way of deflecting, making it all the more annoying or him because there is no point in doing so.

But with Tess, he never had much of confiding in or being confided to. Tess was too much of an independent woman on her own. But when they marriage fell out, she didn't break his heart as much as he thought she would, it's leaving him all alone by himself that does. She always sets a distance between them but he still loved her nonetheless. With Tess, they never had much talking – just arguing most of the time. Maybe that's why when he met Ellie, he couldn't stand the fact that she talks so much.

In the end, they are there at top of a tower of the castle ruins; Ellie snuggled up to him and Alec holding onto her tight. He sighed before placing a kiss in her hair, "I don't talk much but I can listen to you if you want."

Alec felt her arm removing itself from around his waist, snaking up his body before Ellie placed her palm on his chest, tracing the bumps of the scar that was concealed by his t-shirt, "You still haven't answered my question."

He tensed at the feeling of her breath against his neck, "Which one?"

"Returning to Broadchurch. You thought you had something there left for you. What was it?"

He didn't even hesitate.

No need for second thoughts.

No need for tension.

He just let it out, "You."

She looked up so quickly she hit her head to his chin, "What?"

They separated, Ellie sitting up straight, Alec rubbing his chin and scowling in pain, wondering if her curls had actually cushioned her head. Sadly for him, he got a small cut that started bleeding due to one of her hair pins, "Bollocks."

"Oh, fuck. Sorry!" She cupped his chin, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the blood away.

"What the hell was that?"

"Why did you have to say that?"

"You wanted an answer, I gave you mine!"

"Yeah, but why did you say me?"

"Because you're the only reason I have!"

They paused. Ellie pulled back her hand together with her handkerchief but Alec grabbed hold of the cloth from her, bringing it up to his chin to sooth it again.

"Then, why didn't you come back?"

He didn't dare to look into her eyes to admit it. So, he adjusted himself, folding his legs in and just fidgeting so that he doesn't have to look at her while he answered, "Heard you were doing fine. You didn't need a reminder of the shit that happened."

"But why me?"

He sighed, "I broke your family apart and got out of town knowing that you are left with two sons to be raised on your own. Do you really think I didn't worry?"

"And you think, 'oh, heard Miller's doing fine now. I don't need to go back and visit her already.'?"

Alec didn't answer. He thought that was rhetorical, having explained himself in the first place. Despite his silence, she managed a small smile anyway, her eyes tearing up as she went for his neck to hug it. He flinched as one her pins grazed his already cut chin. He restrained himself from scowling in pain, not really wanting her to let go. Although her actions were sudden, Alec managed to slowly raise his arms up to wrap it around her slowly, their leather jackets rustling a little too loudly against each other. When she finally let him go, he placed back the handkerchief under his chin.

"Holy shit, did I cut you again?"

* * *

They arrived home quite early that night. Both of them was thinking if they should just cook dinner with the children but when they arrived, Daisy and Tom was in Alec's kitchen preparing for the meal.

Fred ran up to hug his mother's legs, Daisy was cutting up some tuna whereas Tom was drying up his hands, the latter asking his mom as he set the towel back down and when to the fridge to take out some vegetables, "What are you doing back so early?"

"Aren't you supposed to be out on a date?" Daisy interjected.

"Why are you not outside having a candlelight dinner or something?"

"Date went wrong?"

The sudden burst of questions set both their parents back; Ellie raised an eyebrow, Alec feeling the blood rushing up to his face. Still, Alec did what he does best – to pretend –and he put on a calm and annoyed front, "We were just worried about you lot."

"Oh, wow. I think they could make really good parents for us already, Tom."

While Ellie scoffed, Alec rolled his eyes at his witty daughter, "Don't burn my kitchen down."

He saw Daisy smirked as she continued cutting up. Alec doesn't really like her smug look – she seemed too much like her mother.

"Fine, then," Tom grabbed a cutting board and a knife, "Take care of Fred for us. We'll get dinner ready. Watch telly or something. Just relax. We'll call you up when we're ready. That alright, mum?"

Frankly, Alec was astounded at how Tom sounded so much just like him – taking control of the situation, giving orders. He was actually proud of the boy that he could actually manage to come up with a set of instructions for his mum when he could barely hold a proper conversation with Alec. The Scotsman didn't show his amazement but instead bent to remove Fred from crushing his mum's legs, settled the toddler on his hip and walked away without saying anything.

In the distant he could hear Ellie saying, "Didn't know you could cook."

"Picked up a few skills from your boyfriend."

Alec's cheeks flushed.

* * *

Ellie had simply thrown aside her leather jacket onto the couch and Alec didn't know to feel amused at her heedlessness or to feel offended at the lack of care. Or maybe it was just her being too comfortable in her home. While she cleaned Fred up, he learnt how to switch on the Blu-ray DVD player and mastered the functions as he put on a random movie he'd picked up. His eyes were giving away halfway through the movie about a man who has metal claws out of his knuckles when he felt cold tiny palms tapping at his cheeks. He growled, "No, lad. Not now."

Fred stood on his laps, still tapping at Alec's cheek, "Dee-dee."

"Aye," Alec scrunched his face but he didn't really attempt at stopping the boy from whatever he was doing.

"Dee-dee!"

"It's Haaar-dee," Alec put up his own two palms on each side of Fred's chubby cheeks, slightly annoyed and amused by the boy.

"Daaa-dee!"

Alec laughed, "One day, lad. If your mum found someone meant for her, aye?"

For a little while more, he let Fred poke his eyes and talked to him in a mixed language of baby and English until Ellie plopped herself beside him.

Not a single word exchanged between them.

When he felt her snaked an arm around his waist, he let it be.

He had really gotten used to it.

Until Fred decided to squeeze in between them.

* * *

Dinner was a heart-healthy meal and a bit of a bummer for Fred. The toddler would eat the salmon but not the greens. Ellie would have fed him the aglio olio if it had not been a little too spicy for the young one. Alec was impressed at the teenagers' culinary skills that he actually praised them both causing raised eyebrows and gaping mouths from the surprise of Alec actually complimenting people.

"You've got a little something there, dad." Daisy circled her chin to point it out to her father, "Let me get that for you."

Before he could pull away, his daughter was already wiping at his chin only for him to flinch in pain, "That's a cut, darlin'."

"But you didn't have it when you left this morning."

He really didn't expect for his daughter to be so observant, "I cut myself just now."

"Yeah, but how?"

Alec could not really resist but to look at Ellie to ask for help in answering the question, but it only caused a whole other meaning to his daughter when she dragged an, "Oooh…."

Tom rolled his eyes.

"It's not exactly what you think it is," Alec tried to explain himself but really, he just made the dinner suddenly very awkward.

"Nope," Daisy smirked as she chewed on her salmon, "Don't need to know."

* * *

While Daisy and Tom got themselves on the X-Box in the boy's room, Alec and Ellie were in the latter's room, seated at the edge of her bed, trying to tuck wee Fred to sleep. As the boy sucked on his milk bottle, he slowly started to give way to sleep. Finally, he gave up and handed Alec his bottle before rolling over on his side, hugging his bolster and eventually fell asleep.

Ellie stroked Fred's curls and bent over, settling a kiss on the boy's crown.

"To be honest, that was a really boring date," He heard her said softly.

Alec rolled his eyes.

"But it wasn't exactly terrible," She continued, "It was nice."

A small smile formed on his lips. He didn't exactly need to say anything – other than the fact that he don't know what to say – but he knew he didn't have to. It was just so comforting to him to see her warm smile despite the dimly lit room. He could feel then that maybe everything was falling into place for her as well; her son now so matured despite just turning into a teenager, a stable job and past that doesn't seem to bother her much anymore.

They stared at each other for a while longer until he heard Daisy's voice from across the hallway, "If you two are planning to get on something, I suggest you close the door."


	13. To Return

They never had another kiss since their first on the countertop. They hadn't moved on being physically intimate either. The furthest they'd been was snuggling up on Ellie's couch on a movie night. They woke up the next morning both stretched out on the couch with Ellie on top of Alec and a blanket thrown over them. Daisy and Tom had apparently taken the liberty to cover them up before Tom tucked Fred to sleep and Daisy taking up Tom's bed for that night.

Ellie and Alec had decided that the two teenagers could sleep in provided that they could watch after Fred for the day while both of them got to work. The adults had scheduled themselves new breakfast timing, waking up later than they usually would. Most mornings, Ellie would go over to Alec's place where he had prepared breakfast for both of them.

Secretly, he quite liked the way she looked wearing the leather jacket over her suit. No, he actually liked how their outfit of suit and leather jacket combination matched. Very daft, he'd admitted to himself that although he hid his satisfaction well enough when pairs of eyes observed them every time they stepped into bullpen together.

They have had their time of having lunch with the others every now and then and they were getting along better although he still couldn't hold conversations very well. To avoid too much hand holding or any physical interactions between them, they sat on opposite sides or have someone in between. To both their surprise, no one actually brought up their relationship to be talked about and they were glad that that line had not been crossed yet.

Until one time Alec was late to join in for lunch and instinctively kissed Ellie's hair before sitting down. His action ceased all conversations, because they never displayed affection in front of them, and one Detective Dalton sighed and asked the question straight up, "Are you two dating or sorts?"

It caught the Sergeant and the Inspector off-guard, both staring at each other on how to answer. They ended up with one rubbing the back of his neck and the other fidgeting in her seat before both gave a small nod.

People started taking out their wallets and placed ten quid each on the table. Dalton took the money and divided it equally among the winners.

More questions came up after that and Alec's urge to run back to the HQ and grab his bike to ride back home was so strong. But he eventually had to deal with it, anyway.

"How long have you two known each other?"

"Close to a year?"

"Did you move to Gracestone for her?"

"No."

"So, you two just happened to be neighbours by accident?"

"Aye."

"What do you mean by accident?"

That round of lunch was probably the most interactive Alec had been with the force. His struggles to socialise were apparently a form of entertainment to Ellie as she tried to stifle her laughter watching him being interrogated.

* * *

Alec was preparing dinner one day with the assistance of both the teenagers that Ellie came blaring into his kitchen, "Daisy, I need to talk to your father alone. Tom, please excuse us."

All of them were so surprised at her sudden appearance that they didn't have any problems dropping whatever they were doing and the two teenagers walked out in an instant. Alec wiped his hands after washing them, "What have I done now?"

Ellie raised her phone up, her face threatening him that she was about to breakdown. Alec, of course, didn't get what she was trying to say and so he just leaned against the counter with a tilted head and a raised eyebrow.

"Beth called," Her voice shook.

Alec caught this and instantly went up to her, bracing her by her shoulders, "Everything alright?"

She shook her head.

She kept shaking her head and eventually tears started to fall. Alec drew her into his arms and she buried her face into his chest. He couldn't do much but to comfort her by rubbing her back gently and making shushing noises. In between her sniffs, he could hear her muffled and shaky voice as she spoke into his chest, "She invited me over next Saturday."

Alec tucked her head under his chin, "What's wrong with that? You two are fine now, right?"

He felt her shaking her head under him, "But it's not that."

He stroked her hair, giving her time to compose herself.

"Broadchurch- they, uh... Broadchurch are having a gathering next Saturday."

And it struck him what occasion she was trying to say.

It's the anniversary.

"You don't have to go, if you don't want to," Alec continued his ministrations, rubbing her back.

He felt her ball his t-shirt in her palm, "Why would Beth invite me? Is she trying to get to me?"

But he really couldn't do much. Alec continued rubbing her back, pressing a kiss to her hair, "I don't think that's what Beth intended."

"How would you know?"

He sighed, "Do you want to go?"

"Of course I want to bloody go. What are you talking about?" She removed herself and hit his arm.

He flinched, rubbing his hurt arm, "Then, why did you cry?"

Ellie hit his other arm, "My ex-husband killed her son, you knob! I am sad! You don't think it will make me sad? Unbelievable."

Right.

For being a detective, he is quite bad at reading people in that situation. He was glad she didn't strangle him. Alec stood still, just observing her wipe her tears away furiously.

When she settled her hands on her hips, Ellie looked up to him, "I want you to come along with us."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT," He rejected instantly.

"Oh, shut up. Beth had wanted to meet you the day you moved out. Just take this one up, alright?"

He rolled her eyes.

She crossed her arms.

There is no point in arguing any further anyway.

* * *

Both of them took half-day on the Friday. They had settled for Alec's car to head on for Broadchurch. Broadchurch is also another two-hour drive although Alec had wanted them to take the train, arguing that Fred will get restless which the little boy did. The problem was solved by them having to pull over for Daisy to exchange her seat with her father and the toddler spent the rest of the journey asleep on Alec's laps.

Becca Fisher, however delighted she was to be reunited with Ellie, was surprised that Alec had tagged along with a teenager by his side, "She the one from your wallet?"

"No. This is Daisy, my daughter." Daisy looked up to her father for an explanation, "She took me to the hospital once when I blacked out."

"So, one room?"

Both Alec and Ellie stepped back. Ellie was quick to recover, however, although Alec was still appalled at the suggestion.

"Two, please," Daisy helped the adults to answer.

Alec had really wanted to just stay in the hotel, suggested Daisy to go out and buy dinner so that they could eat in the room. He was giving his best not to go back to being seen by anyone from the town. His daughter had pointed out it was ridiculous, because he still have to face them the next day. In the end, all of them got out of their respective rooms and Ellie drove them to restaurant few shops away from the Broadchurch Echo. He didn't really minded until Olly and Lucy came along to join them.

While Olly shot the Scotsman a smug look, Alec saw Lucy give Ellie a mischievous one. And as Ellie and Tom exchanged hugs with their relatives, Alec and Daisy shook hands with them.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Olly squint his eyes as he exchanged greetings with Daisy.

The girl replied deadpanned, "Aye. I asked you about my father when I came down with my school for the netball competition."

Alec smirked proudly of his daughter when Lucy and Olly went speechless, both wide-eyed and gaping-mouths. The young man stuttered to explain himself, trying to apologise for not knowing, "T'is alright. Daisy gets her way around people."

Throughout dinner, it was merely Ellie's family reunion – she talked about her new job, Tom briefly sharing about his school, Fred blabbing in baby talk, they shared about the nice places there are – it was a really decent dinner. Daisy and Alec simply finished up their food in silence, completely invisible.

"Mr. Hardy, sir. How are you? Haven't heard from you in a long time," Alec was pretty convinced by this point that Olly would be taking out his voice recorder or pen and paper soon enough to record down whatever he was going to say next.

"I'm alright, thanks."

"How's your heart doin'?"

"T'is alright."

"What are you doing now, sir? Are you working anywhere?"

This set everyone at the table to silence. Ellie glimpsed at Tom, Tom stared at Daisy, Daisy observed her dad trying to gather his thoughts, "I work for Gracestone as well."

Olly and Lucy exchanged glances, the latter leaning forward, "You've been in Gracestone all this while?"

"Since the day you left?" Olly intervened.

"Only three months in," Alec replied dryly.

And they didn't dig in deeper into it. Ellie got them to talk about how the town had moved on since then, and Olly asked Daisy on how she's coping with the upcoming GCSE. Alec could feel the occasional glares coming from Olly and the stares from Lucy and although he convinced himself to ignore it, his discomfort made him lose his appetite. He simply put down his cutleries and assisted wee Fred with his meal by feeding the toddler instead.

No one said a word.

Alec saw question marks on the faces of Ellie's relatives but he appreciated that they were never raised.

* * *

Daisy was up and ready and was tugging at her father's sheets to wake him up. Instead, Alec just pulled more of it and buried himself under the blanket, "Can't you just bring the breakfast up to me?"

"How badly do you not want to be back in this town?"

"Very." He replied with his face in his pillow.

His daughter didn't give in to his childish mannerisms and had instead went off to see the town with Ellie and her sons. Alec dragged himself out of bed after getting a call from Ellie telling him to get his skinny arse up and meet them for lunch.

_Lunch?_

_How deep asleep had he been?_

Walking down the street wasn't exactly comfortable for him as he felt eyes of the people of the town on him. He had no doubts they remembered who he is despite the loss of scruff and it doesn't make him feel any better trying to convince himself that maybe they couldn't recognize him.

Some smiled and nodded. For a moment, he had forgotten what the gesture meant. He didn't forget it in a whole fortunately, because he responded to the mannerism, in which people had deemed it courteous, returning them his own small nervous smile and an acknowledging nod. If this was a year ago, he would have just passed by with a frown and his coat hanging off his lanky body.

Not exactly a pleasant afternoon sight.

Alec kept moving forward with his hands in his jacket, remembering the days he had to walk the streets with his head spinning, his vision blurring. It takes time to readjust. Going for the pacemaker surgery didn't exactly fix him instantly. Times like this are when he would listen to his heart beating, being wary of his pace, his eyes trying to focus hard on the path he is walking on. He had to remind himself that he could run now, that he can see clearly where he is going without worrying about his vision starting to black out despite months after going under the knife.

Alec was already too used to listening his heart beat regularly that when it started racing, he had to stop walking, staring at the person who caused his pace to spike - Mark Latimer. Both standing outside the restaurant Ellie had told Alec to wait at, Mark hung up from whatever conversation he was having on the phone, put it away into his pocket and slowly approached the Scotsman with his hand reached out, "Detective Hardy."

Alec gave him a firm shake and a greeting nod, "Mark Latimer."

"What are you doing here?"

By this point, Alec have no idea on whether or not to feel offended. Mentally, he's already cursing Ellie for dragging him along, "Miller invited me."

"Didn't know you were still talking to Ellie."

Luckily for Alec, he didn't have to respond to it when Ellie finally arrived with an unfamiliar baby in her arms whereas Fred was dragging Chloe with him, Tom and Daisy walking alongside Beth.

"Detective Hardy," Beth greeted him. He gave her a nod, putting an arm around his daughter who had walked up to stand beside him.

The Latimers stared at the interaction.

"Daisy's your...?" Chloe didn't manage to finish her question. Still, he knew what she was trying to say and had non-verbally answered her query with a positive nod.

"But... Ellie-," Beth turned to the woman of her mention, "I thought you said she was your neighbour?"

"Daisy is. Her neighbour. And my daughter," Alec interrupted, exhaling the breath he didn't know he was holding in as he took a step forward, "We live next to each other."

Without saying anything else, Tom motioned them to get into the restaurant and they all did so, the Latimers not taking their eyes off Alec, still surprised by his presence.

They barely said a word throughout lunch, the only interaction they had was asking for menu recommendations and attending to Fred's and baby Lizzie's hungry tantrums. While Daisy tried to be civil, Alec had a hard time trying to make himself comfortable with the presence of the Latimers. He kept his focus to his food, trying to avoid conversation until he felt a hand on his shoulder, only for him to face Ellie standing behind him when he turned, "I need to talk to you."

Alec would have said no but she was already holding onto his arm, dragging him behind her. She led him out of the restaurant before spinning him around to face her as she crossed her arms, "You alright?"

"Kind of rude, innit? To drag me out in the middle of my meal?"

"Rude?" He felt a blow to his arm, "Beth been asking you questions but Daisy had been answering them for you! Where'd you go, Hardy?"

Alec rubbed his arm, but still responding flatly to her vexation, "Must've blanked out then."

She crossed her arms again, "Seriously? What? Are you that unhappy to be back here again? For god's sake, can you try to be civil for once? You've been nothing but childish and particularly rude since we arrived here!"

He sighed, staring right back at her angry front. It wasn't her fault that she mistook his discomfort for insolence – he should have given her a better first impression and he should have treated her better when they first met. No, he should have been better to anyone at all, "You could have told me they're joining us for lunch!"

Okay.

First of all, that is not how you try to be civil.

Apparently, Alec's mouth had acted quicker than his brain did.

"We're going to see them later, anyway! What's the difference?"

"Well, you could've told them that I am here with you! Did you see their faces when they saw me?"

Ellie went poking at his chest, "All that happened wasn't your fault, Hardy! Get around it! You did what you had to do! If you think they could not accept you here, you're wrong! Well, you're not right all the bloody time!"

By the end of her rant, both of them were panting, their breathings were heavy and filled with tension. Despite both yelling at each other initially, their faces were only inches away. By the corners of his eyes, he realised people had stopped in their tracks; all eyes were set on them. He heard murmurs of the people whispering, he saw a couple near them slowly backing away. Alec balled his palms into fists and hung his head, "I'm sorry. 'M not feeling very comfortable being here."

At that, he felt her hand take one of his fists to open them and laced her fingers with his, "You could've told me."

"Didn't want to be a bother."

"Tough shit," Ellie cupped his chin and tilted his head up so that their eyes leveled, "Just listen to what they have got to say. I'll change places with Daisy."

"But they-,"

"To hell what they will think. If it makes you better that I am by your side, then I will do just that."

And they went back into the restaurant side by side, Ellie's hand in his. He kept close to her, their arms brushing against each other. He watched as Ellie politely asked to change places with his daughter and his teenage girl silently obliging in spite of the look of hesitance on her face. When they settled down, Ellie placed a hand on his lap, oblivious to the people at the table, giving him the assurance he needed.

"Detective Hardy," Mark called him out, "I was just talking to your daughter. You're DS now under Ellie, aren't you?"

Alec swallowed his saliva, "Aye."

"How's it so far?"

"'Tis alright." He reached out for his glass of water.

Beth put a hand on her husband's arm and spoke instead, "We, uh- We actually wanted to thank you."

The statement almost caused the glass to slip out of his hand.

"We never got to thank you."

He placed the glass back down, his hand quickly reaching for Ellie's on his lap and felt her giving it an assuring squeeze, "I was just doing my job."

"You and Ellie, both. We were in a difficult time of our own that we forgot that it was harsh on you two as well. We appreciated for everything you've done, that you took chances and even risked your life for it."

Alec would have stopped them there, wanting to ask how they knew about his health but he realised that there was really no point in doing so – the town was too small, the word spreads. He kept silent as Beth continued, "For you to actually come today means a lot to us."

The first time Alec stood on the edge of that cliff, it wasn't as beautiful a memory – there was a boy that just died on the beach down below and a whole lot of sorrow and despair that filled the air. That day when he joined them in remembering Danny Latimer, he was surrounded by the town who once despised him, a family that had lost their loved one and the friend that stayed with him through everything that had happened for the past year. The people of the town had each brought a lantern that when they arrived, all released into the air at the same time after a speech made by Mark and a prayer led by Reverend Coates.

His daughter had held his hand throughout, trying to provide support for her father and he was grateful for it. Ellie and her sons had been ahead of him throughout the evening by the Latimer's side and he lets it be, understanding that she needed it – that assurance of acceptance after to be blamed for the faults of her ex-husband. There was no feeling more heart-warming for him to be able to see how receiving Broadchurch actually is because he too felt received by the town.

He hadn't felt that sense of belonging in a long time.

_"Are you and Ellie actually together?" _He recalled Beth asking him when they were about to separate ways after the lunch.

_"We are now. I think."_

_"But when did it happen?"_

_"Not during or before Joe's trial, if you're wondering."_

_"Right."_

_"Right."_

_"Just take care of her."_

_"I will."_

When everything was over, Alec suggested Daisy to take Tom and Fred back to the hotel and requested Ellie to stay with him while they were getting down from the cliff. The two of them walked in silence for a while after everyone had gone, taking in the salty Broadchurch sea breeze that they hadn't realised they missed so much. As they walked through the boat park, it brought back a melancholic and yet painful memory for him – the night Ellie was so close to catching her own husband which was also the night he almost died in her arms.

Alec knew that it also brought discomfort for Ellie when he felt her holding his hand a little tighter. They walked together side by side in the dark, the night only lit by the moonlight as they headed for the beach.

Ellie wrapped her arms around his and leaned her head on his shoulder as they stood still facing the seawater, standing on the spot where they first met. He had forgotten how strong the winds in the town were as he felt his hair dancing wildly and Ellie's curls brushed against the side of his face, "Kind of cold."

"Like our first meeting," Ellie replied.

He let out a chuckle. Alec removed her arms from around his and turned to face her, his hands on her shoulder, just quietly staring at her face before he settled a kiss on her forehead. He let his lips rest there for a while longer, as he closed his eyes. Despite the strong sea breeze, he felt her breath on his neck as she sighed.

When they got back to the hotel, Alec realised he had forgotten to give the room key to Daisy and his daughter had been in Ellie's room throughout. It's already way too late into the night for any of their children to still be awake.

"We'll just settle in your room then," Ellie suggested.

Again, he had to to get some of his clothes for her to change into.

While she changed, Alec could not help but to recall the day when Ellie had came to him and sat with him after he arrested Joe as he sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard. He remembered putting her at the top of his short list of strong people he had ever met. Although there were two single beds, Ellie had climbed up onto his bed and went under the covers with him, snaked an arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. Alec started to draw circles on her arm around him before holding her to pull her closer to him, "Here we are, then."

"Here we are," Ellie repeated after him,playing with the hem of his shirt.

"Miller?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you really think I was going to return to Broadchurch?"

She sighed and started tracing the bumps of his scar, "Honestly, I did."

"Why?"

"I was daft."

"Hmm." Alec removed her off him laid down on his side pulling her down together with him. He placed a hand on her hips, resting their foreheads on each other. The moment that passed was silent and he closed his eyes, embedding that moment into his memory – Ellie in his sleep clothes just lying beside him.

He felt her hand cup his cheek, "I kind of miss the beard."

He laughed and wrapped around her in a whole, her head tucked under his chin, her nose buried in his neck, "Hardy?"

"Did you really not plan on coming back to Broadchurch at all?"

He sighed, "I did. But I was too afraid."

"Of?"

"I don't know."

"Was it really for me, though?"

"Aye."

"Why?"

He placed a kiss in her hair, "You're all I have here."

"Hmm."

He moved back a little, so that he could see her face. Alec gave her a small smile before placing a kiss on her forehead and tucking her head under his chin again, "Go to sleep, Miller."

"Hmm."

But he knew she didn't as he felt her draw circles on his chest. He stayed awake for a little while more until his eyes gave away and the circles slowed down before stopping in a whole.

* * *

**A/N:** HEY GUYS. I am beyond grateful for the reviews and your kind words! I am sorry if the ending is a bit rushed but thank you for actually following the story! I had started off with a one-shot and look where we are now. I would love to continue but I've been way too busy. And again, thank you, very very much for staying with me!


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